Wow. I had soooooo much fun this weekend. The past week as well. The practices with S.F.T. are coming along nicely, although they're already saying I'm playing the songs too fast, which is pretty much what every band I've ever been in has said to me. Go figure, right? :-) I didn't make it to the Mapes gig @ the Motor City Cafe on Friday because I threw my back out after band practice, but luckily I have an amazingly rad chick who's a Masseuse as a Friend, so I told her I had an emergency and she fixed me. Straightened me out and worked me out and because of her I was able to make it to the gigs on Saturday. Thanx Babe! XOXO I owe ya one! ;-)

And the gigs on Saturday? FUN!!! Going back and forth from the inside lobby area to the pool area outside to check out some diverse bands was cool. There wasn't any drink specials at the bar, which sucked, because the booze was waaaayyy over priced, but it didn't matter, because they were letting everyone walk in with whatever they had stashed in their car in the parking lot. Security didn't seem to mind the smoke sessions out there either, which is always a plus in my book. The Sound dudes were on the ball, everything sounded great, and with the weirdly eclectic turnout of people for this event, which was for the 107.9 radio station Birthday party, gave the place a nice chill vibe and people were just hanging out and walking around like it was a backyard kegger party or something. Very fucking cool. And the Bands? Oh, the Bands were killer! Well, most of them were anyways. ;-) The People's Whiskey just blew me the fuck away with their set, just fucking amazing shit. Am I the only one hyped on this band right now or what? They're so exceptional as to what's going on out there right now in the Vegas scene and I just dig their sound, I dunno. Ministry Of Love were easily the most entertaining band that I saw. They have this kid Ryan who's like a monkey on speed when he plays, throwing his guitar around with reckless abandon, jumping on top of everything he possibly could and shredding away on it, and doing complete back flips in the middle of a song. Seriously. And, of course, he jumped in the pool after the band ended their set. Pulsar and Meg followed him right in. Rad. :-) I saw this band called The Lips who were really fucking Ace, playing this infectious Indy Pop New Wave music that was really New Order / Cure like, and I dug the shit out of it. Really impressive stuff. They were like the Killers if the Killers didn't suck. :-) And Guilty By Association played their second to last gig ever with Bingo Billy behind the drum kit. And it was definitely something to see... hahahaha I'll save the details for the Show Review I wanna write about it. ;-)

After Guilty By Association finished up their set, I made a beeline for Yayo Taco for a carnitas taco plate and tequila shots. Yummmmm! The place was packed with the dinner crowd, and the wooden tables were sitting out, not to be moved the entire night. Whatever. Permanent Failure played a set full of Punk Rock tunes that sounded like every Punk band you liked when you were 16! LOL So fun to watch, but I had to leave when they played that Bad Religion cover mid way through their set. Is it too much to ask a band to play their covers at the end of the set, like Guilty By Association did @ the Royal Resort with that Billy Joel song? Is it also too much to ask a band to KNOW their cover before they play it? LOL Awwwww... It was Permanent Failure's last gig, and it was a good way to go out. People dug them, and they showed all us old guys in the room what being Young and Punk Rock was all about! Surrounded by Thieves have turned into a MONSTER with Brandon from Betting On Tomorrow on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. They sounded soooooooo fucking good it was frightening. They have this, 'don't give a fuck - let's just play and rock out and have fun' attitude that's contagious to everyone in the room. The songs are outstanding, and Brandon is the perfect fit for Surrounded By Thieves. They just rocked the salsa out of Yayo Taco, and it was the Guitar player Andy's Birthday too, and there were chocolate and vanilla cupcakes being handed out to everyone who wanted one. I took 3. :-) And, of course, you know what happens when you give a room full of drunk Punx stuff to abuse or throw around - a cupcake fight broke out, with everyone in the place getting pelted and marked with sickly sticky sugary frosting. Yeah, it was that kind of night. Anyways, check out Surrounded By Thieves each and every time you can. You won't be disappointed.

The touring band from Reno, Machine Gun Vendetta, were pretty fucking good. They had that sound that reminded me of like, every band that was on any of those Maximumrockandroll compilations from the 1980's, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible! LOL Lightning fast Punk Rockage that was pretty cool stuff. After their set they were handing out business cards with a Link to a free download of some slamscene.com compilation album they were on, which is always good. Bands - download cards are the new way to get your music into the hands of the fans. Just saying. ;-) And Guilty By Association ended the event by playing their 2nd set of the night, and Officially their last one with Bingo Billy. I took video of the last song they played, and I'll post it up on here sometime soon. It was a melancholy way to end the evening, that's for sure.

Speaking of video, here's one I forgot to post up on here from the night of Vandalism @ the Cheyenne Saloon. :-) It's blurry, shaky, off centered and hard to see, but I think it suits the music well. It's Dead Neon performing Advisory (Go To The Boneyard), Downwinder and Cratered. They were soooooooooooooo fucking on that night. Their music makes me wanna give up on the world and just head out to the desert and grow my hair out while waiting for the Apocalypse to come. Yeah, it's that moving... to me anyways.

I got more Videos to post, but I need to get a hold of the Bands to ask them what the Hell the song is called that I filmed! hahaha Keep your eyes on the Videos page to see whats what. Everything is updated. Yeah, I added the Pictures of the Happy Campers and Ministry Of Love from that Royal Resort gig, and as soon as I finish writing this shit up I'm gonna head out to more S.F.T. band practice and maybe to Artifice for a night cap. Who knows. What's everyone doing for Labor Day? Me? I'm heading Home... <3

Oh Jameson's - how I love thee! <3

Well, it's way more than 48 hours later, and for those of you who give a shit, I'm still a free man! ;-) hahahaha That thing with the Cheyenne? Forget about it. It's been squashed, and a gag order has been put into effect. The Godfather has spoken. That is all. :-) Un-rally the troops! Put those picket signs away! Stop the Boycott! Everything is cool. hahahahaha

Ya know, I just found out about those shows happening @ the Royal Resort this weekend for the Local Alternative radio station here in town. I'm told people still listen to the radio but I can't for the Life of my imagine why. Oh well. Fucking everybody and their Mom is playing the damn event - Guilty By Association, The Quitters, Ministry Of Love, The People's Whiskey (check these guys out! I'm so hyped on them right now), The Dirty Panties, Haleamano, The Happy Campers, and a bunch more, and I wish I would of known about it sooner, because I could of hyped it up a bit more, but I guess I just wasn't worth the effort of sending a Facebook invite to, or even a copy of the flyer. **Le sigh** Anyways, it's gonna be a pretty sweet shindig, with bands playing both poolside and in what they lovingly refer to as 'The Den', which is really just a blank floor space at the end of the check in desk / bar area. Nice. You should make an effort to be @ the Royal Resort sometime this weekend, if not just being there all weekend long! There's gonna be something for everyone there. Should be fun.

Besides that Royal Resort gig on Saturday, Guilty By Association are also playing Yayo Taco that same night. They're playing with Machine Gun Vendetta from Reno, and Surrounded By Thieves and Permanent Failure. It's Permanent Failure's last gig, as they're breaking up do to the usual "creative differences". I also think that these last few gigs of Guilty By Association are the last ones that they're doing with Bingo Billy on drums. I'm still not sure of the exact reason why he's quitting, and if what I heard is true really is, then that's even more of a bummer, but regardless, if you're in the mood for some Tacos, Beer and Punk Rock, then come out to Yayo Taco  Saturday night and have some fun.

Everything's updated. The Mapes gig on Friday is gonna be great! See ya there!

I had a pretty good weekend planned out. I really did. I was gonna start Friday night out by heading down to the Cheyenne Saloon to catch my Nephew DJ Chis opening up for Sen Dogg from Cypress Hill there, and then after that was finished I was gonna head to Vamp'd to catch Green Jelly and the Vermin, which I had been hyping my friends about all week. Problem was, a certain band I wanted nothing to do with was opening the gig, a fact that I only found out about when the flyer was finally made available to the public 2 days before the gig. Yeah, I know. Don't get me started. So I told my friends I wouldn't be at the gig, and they tried to talk me into going anyways, but I stood my ground and stayed away. After over sleeping and missing out on my Nephews set, I decided to pursue other non-musical endeavors that evening. Totally worth it too. :-)

Saturday was my plan was all about Football and seeing Nick Razor and G.F.I. @ the Cheyenne Saloon that night, who were playing with Guilty By Association and Rule Of Thumb, I think. Anyways, just like before, a few days before the gig I find out that another band I want nothing to do with are playing the gig that night, and even though they are notorious for booking gigs and not showing up to them, I again decided to stay away and avoid the possibility of any Drama. Again, I got better things to do. Like eat, drink and be merry! :-) So I started the day out with Jeremy testing out some bass pedals he picked up from Cowtown Guitars, and then it was off to Jesse & Roxie's to watch the game. After watching the Raiders lose to the 40-Whiners I went home with a belly full of enchiladas and a better disposition to deal with the Drama I had waiting for me there. And to do laundry. Yup. Fun stuff.

Speaking of fun stuff,  think this pretty much says it all. I love the title of the email - reads like a newspaper headline! hee hee hee This Gilbert Astrada dude is in serious trouble! ;-) And please note that he sent a copy of the email to "702cop112", but yet tells me if I don't comply with his wishes he will turn the matter over to Metro when, apparently, he already has. Cute.


GILBERT ASTRADA CAUGHT VANDALIZING LOCAL BUSINESS

Mark Hornsby [email protected] to ge138, 702cop112
show details Sunday August 21 11:31 PM (15 minutes ago)

Hi Gilbert Astrada~

My name is Mark and I have you on video surveillance tagging my club up with your stickers. In the real world that's called VANDALISM and it's against the law. You obviously didn't look up at any of the 15 cameras I have in my bar. The date was on Sunday, August 14  2011. I suggest you come in and explain why this happened to me or this will be turned over to metro and you can explain to them. You have 48 hours to get this handled or it will be dealt with legally.

Truly.
*M

Mark Hornsby
MHC (LLC)

Yeah, I don't think I'll be supporting the Cheyenne Saloon anytime in the future, to say the least, which is just fine. I got better things to do and if he's serious about pursuing this legally, then I guess we'll go that route. He told his Cop friend. I told my Lawyer. We'll see how this plays out. :-)

Ahhhhhhh, such a beautiful Monday morning. I think I'll go out and enjoy it and see what kind of mischief I can get into. Pretty quiet week musically, with the weekend having only one must see gig, that being the Mapes / Maxies gig @ the Motor City Cafe. If you're feeling brave you can venture out to Hendertucky to see the Tinglerz, but I wouldn't advise it, and neither does my Lawyer. :-) There's some Thrash shows @ the Sanctuary, Yayo, the Bunkhouse, whatever, happening this weekend, and you can check out the Gig Calendar page for all the info, and then there's that Butthole Surfers gig happening @ the Palms on Sunday, which, I dunno, just bums me out to no end. The last time I saw the Butthole Surfers, they were playing a big stage, during their MTV Alternative Nation moment in the sun, and they seemed kind of lost up there, and it definitely didn't feel like a Butthole Surfers gig from where I was standing. Good but not Essential like it used to be. I can't imagine it will be any different at the Palms. Oh well. Could just be the 'Old Guy' in me, but I'd rather not see it. Have fun if you're going though. :-) Everything's updated, all the Pictures from the Pentagram / Pigasus / Dead Neon / Demon Lung / 21 Strong gig @ the Cheyenne are up, and hopefully they won't be the last pictures I take there but if they are, oh well. :-) I got some video from that night too, and I'll upload that later.

New look for the website - do you like it??? :-)

See that picture on the front of the page? Yeah, it was that kind of night @ the Cheyenne Saloon. Hamm's beer on tap and Newcastle by the gallon kept us all in a glorious spirit, and the music / performance of Pentagram will forever be imbedded into my brain as one of the inadvertently funniest things I've ever seen in my Life! LOL That Singer with the Marty Feldman eyes, I dunno, there was just something about him... That Dude has seen some things man... LOL It was a fantastic night made all the more better with all the good friends that came out and made it so. Pigasus just fucking killed it, performing the only non-Metal set of the night and setting the standard for high energy Rock and Roll bands to excel to. And they all do it while smoking cigarettes! :-) Dead Neon were just in-fucking-credible and I stood directly in front of the band grinning like an idiot at the onslaught of noise they were just scattering in random directions all around the nearly empty Cheyenne Saloon. Yeah, the turnout was piss poor to say the least, but that didn't stop any of the bands playing from giving it their all. I dunno, I like 'small, intimate' gigs. You can have more silly fun with your Friends that way. Special Thanks to 21 Strong for the hook up on discount tickets to get in. And would someone tell Demon Lung to stop playing those Black Sabbath covers? Their original material is soooooo good standing out on it's own that those covers aren't even necessary.

Seattle... enough said.

Friday night @ Artifice was fun, if only for the free birthday cake and cheap booze they serve up there nightly. The fucking Naked City Romeos turned the place on it's ear and gave it a good sloppy drunk fucking and spanked it in the ass when it was through, serving up an impressive serving of kick ass Punk Rock & Roll that made a Believer out of me. They were most excellent! Same with The People's Whiskey. Why those guys aren't a bigger band in the Scene is beyond me. They're really good and they have a great drummer. It's all about the Drummer you know! ;-) The Fremonts were the Fremonts, playing a countrified set of Rock tunes that would make people like Waylon Jennings or Buck Owens proud, but I just wasn't feeling it. Spent the majority of their set watching Ruckus play that new, cool looking bass of his. People dug them though, and one of the Birthday boys got up and sang a tune with them. Fun stuff. It was like a Birthday party celebration for 3 different people up in there, so the free booze was flowing and the free cake was being eaten! LOL Despite all the Drama at the end of the night, I was having a fun time! Didn't I look like I was? Didn't I look Happy, even if just for a moment? hahahaha

For some reason I keep ending up @ Vamp'd on Thurs., hanging out with my 2 favorite waitresses ever, Ashley & Josette, checking out the Board of Fare at Local Band Thursday Nights. SOMEBODY told the Management there that I could get the word out about getting Local Punk Band night going on there instead, so I mentioned that I would let people out there know that if you're in a Punk Band and would like to play @ Vamp'd on Thurs. nights for $50 and some drink tickets, contact me by clicking here and I'll send you the guys cell phone number. Of course, you could probably go down there and talk to the people yourself, but that would require initiative, now wouldn't it?

Speaking of new places for bands to play, ya know Danny, the Prince of Pinche Drummers who plays for Pigasus, has a regular job that involves slinging suds down @ the Bikini Bar on Spring Mountain, located where the old Sand Dollar Blues bar used to be. He's got the hip Rock and Roll crowd hanging out down there being cool, and he's gonna start booking bands to play there as well so again, if you're in a band and you're looking to have more then 2 or 3 options as far as places to play go, then hit up his Facebook page by clicking here and talk to him about bringing down DA ROCK! to the Bikini Bar. :-)

The sun is coming up, so I should probably get to sleep. I got band practice with S.F.T. later on today, because I'm helping them out with their lack of drummer thing since their old drummer just moved away. I'm playing the Agnostic Front gig with them, so if you'd like to come out and see us play well gee, that would be swell! LOL Pretty quiet and easy weekend coming up. Green Jelly is playing with The Vermin @ Vamp'd on Friday, then Surrounded By Thieves and the Naked City Romeos are playing out in Hendertucky on Saturday, and the Legendary Diamondhead are playing @ the Bunkhouse on Sunday. See? Nice and easy weekend. Somewhere along the way the liver abuse has got to end, right? Right? ;-)