Damon spittin’ fire – 1993

Don Caballero v1.0 (reunited!) – CMU, Pittsburgh ’97

Don Caballero v1.0 (reunited!) – Black Cat, DC ’97

Don Caballero – Trey Dog’s Acid (DC ’97)

Don Caballero – Puddin’ In The Eye (DC ’97)

Don Caballero – Delivering The Groceries (DC ’97)

Don Caballero – Room Temperature Lounge (DC ’97)

Bedhead – Athens at the Atomic ’94 (photo by h2o)

Macha Loved Bedhead – Hey Goodbye

Uzeda – Princeton ’98 (photo by h2o)

Uzeda – Princeton ’98 (photo by h2o)

Uzeda – Princeton ’98 (photo by h2o)

Uzeda – Big Lies [false start] (Atlanta ’98)

Uzeda – Big Lies (Atlanta ’98)

Uzeda – Live (Atlanta ’98)

Uzeda – Stomp (Atlanta ’98)

Brainiac – Atlanta @ BLT’s ’96 (photo by h2o)

Brainiac – Atlanta @ BLT’s ’96 (photo by h2o)

Brainiac – Drag (Atlanta ’94)

Brainiac – Live 2 (Atlanta ’94)

Brainiac – Live 3 (Atlanta ’94)

Brainiac – Bonsai Superstar (Atlanta ’94)

Didjits at O’Kayz Corral, ’91?

Didjits – Zowie Fenderblast intro (Atlanta ’93)

Didjits – Evel Knievel (Atlanta ’93)

Didjits – Killboy Powerhead (Atlanta ’93)

June of 44 – Midtown Music Hall, Atlanta ’96

June of 44 – Live 1 (485 Robinson, Atlanta ’97)

June of 44 – Live 2 (485 Robinson, Atlanta ’97)

June of 44 – Live 3 (485 Robinson, Atlanta ’97)

June of 44 – Live 4 (485 Robinson, Atlanta ’97)

Arcwelder live in Baltimore ’92 (photo by h2o)

Me with one of the Graber brothers in Atlanta ’93

Arcwelder – Captain Allen

Arcwelder – Raleigh

Arcwelder – White Elephant

So I went to graduate school in Pittsburgh in 1990. To most people, this wouldn’t mean anything, but to those with a passing knowledge of the town’s taste in music, they know exactly what music was huge there……music that wasn’t popular anywhere else in the country.
Only in Pittsburgh could you see Nice Strong Arm or Steel Pole Bath Tub play to a full room where they couldn’t get arrested elsewhere in the country. A few of those bands that were godhead in Pittsburgh eventually grew into more mainstream acceptance: Bastro, Slint, Codeine and Bitch Magnet.
I remember seeing Bitch Magnet along with Lubricated Goat (another Pittsburgh fave) and Sludgehammer (featuring future Don Caballero guitarist Ian Williams on drums and the mope-core genius Karl Hendricks) at the Upstage Lounge in the Oakland neighborhood in 1991 and man, what a study in opposites. On one hand, you had the junked out rockers in Lubricated Goat looking for drugs and wanting to get fucked up before the show (probably with Kris K) while the studious nerds in Bitch Magnet sat at the bar sipping on Sprites watching college basketball. The irony was further reinforced by the fact that Bitch Magnet swept the floor with the Goat. Hands down. And that night started my totally hardcore, yet totally platonic love affair with Soo Young Park.

Seam – 40 Watt, Athens ’93 (photo by h2o)

Bitch Magnet broke up shortly after I saw them, and by the time Seam started up with BM mastermind Soo Young Park, I had moved to Athens. And in 1993, Georgia was fortunate enough to have Seam perform SIX TIMES that year. After becoming quick friends with them at their first show at the Shoebox (on Washington in Athens, formerly the Uptown and Chameleon Clubs) I continued to house Seam over the next few years as they chalked up quite a few miles on their van. I should mention that their van suffered from great disrepair in 1993 and required Soo Young and I to go to a metal shop in West Athens to get a fixture on the alternator fixed. DIY autowork in the Georgia summer blows. But I digress…..
The Georgia shows in 1993 (if I may jump back) were simply incredible. Soo Young’s then girlfriend Lexi was playing bass, Craig from Repulse Kava was on guitar and the jovial Bob Rising (fmr. Poster Children) on drums. Two shows at the Grooveyard in Atlanta, two shows at the Shoebox, one at the 40 Watt and one at the Masquerade in one year?! Christ, did anybody know how fortunate we were? Half of those shows were before Seam were to release their T&G  masterpiece "The Problem With Me" leaving many to marvel that they were already beating the pavement on a record that wasn’t even released. Such road dogs.

Seam set list from ’93 somewhere in Georgia

And performing live? Man, Seam might’ve gone thru a number of line up changes, but that didn’t stop the band from being one of the true gems of the Touch & Go crown in the early 90’s. Over the years, I sadly lost touch with most of the folks in the band, but I know they play the occasional show even though geographically they’re all over the place.
For the live recording this time, I’m including 4 tracks from their final Georgia appearance of 1993 at the 40 Watt when they had Spent open for them. Such a great show! I remember Soo Young backstage just pacing around with his guitar strapped on saying "I wanna jam! I wanna jam!" and so he went out and opened for Seam doing a quick 3 minute jam by himself. Of course, for fear of embarassing Mr. Park, I’ve included that little sonic exploration.
I don’t know if Georgia will ever have the fortune of having Seam here again, but I can say that for a few years there, we got our fill many times over.

Seam at the Shoebox, Athens early ’93

Seam – Noise jam (40 Watt ’93)

Seam – Atari (40 Watt ’93)

Seam – Rafael (40 Watt ’93)

Seam – The Wild Cat (40 Watt ’93)

Texas was a very last minute addition to the Overrated Book tour to serve as a quasi-excuse to go see Scratch Acid in Austin. And how did it go? Great! I mean, how can’t it?

The Book (right) and Shep Fairey’s testament to himself (left) – DOMY, Houston

Outstanding BBQ in Houston courtesy of Thelma’s and the pipe-totin’ mofos in the Fatal Flying Guiloteens. DOMY was terrific except for showing a room of people the Steve Vai Pussy Candle video and not noticing 2 small children in the crowd. Oh well. Sometimes these things happen. I also purchased an extraordinary book called "Neubauwelt" which I’m looking forward to ripping off in the near future. Immediately afterwards, I got the chance to see Don Caballero (accurately, yet depressingly, called "Don’t Cab" by Bellini‘s Matthew Taylor) at Walter’s and pick up a Blunderbuss CD. Interesting observation: Don Cab neither sold any of their (what I’d deem essential) releases on Touch & Go nor played any of the T&G canon (at least while I was there). Wish I could’ve said howdy to Damon, but from what I could gather, he was pretty shit-hammered on stage and more importantly, I was starving. Went for pancakes and Shipley Donuts with Mike from the Guiloteens and got to bed by 3am for the drive to Austin in the morning.

Don(‘t) Cab v.8.5 – Walters, Houston ’06 (photo by h2o)

So in recent months, I’ve had Mapquest lie to me. Especially on tour. Really bizarre instructions. For example, it added 2 1/2 hours (!!!!) to my return drive from Chicago on the ComOCom tour in April. Anyway, when going to Austin, I was looking at the Mapquest-generated map and thought I was besting the internet. I took I-10 to I-35 (ignoring 71 which goes straight into Austin) which on a map looks really short, but it basically put me in San Antonio and (more importantly) made me late to End Of An Ear in Austin. Showed videos, bought some records (including a sealed copy of the Servotron 9000 7" I put out in ’97!), then went to Waterloo for more record buying goodness. Eventually ended up with in-laws for dinner at the exceptional Magnolia Café and then made my way to Emo’s to see Scratch Acid (see other entry).
Special thanks on this tour go to: Roy, Mike, Shawn and all those Fatal Flying Guiloteen kids, Russell and all at DOMY, Dan and his awesome staff at End Of An Ear, the lovely and vivacious Alice Berry, The Duhons (Lita, Jackson and David) and all Dr. Pepper that I drank that was made with pure cane sugar (it never ever gets old).
Whew! Another successful week on the road, but the last to promote the book until Baltimore after the comedy tour! Be ready Baltimore! And take me for good crabs this time, dammit. I’m tired of the locals that don’t know where to go.

Don Caballero – Mmmmm Acting, I Love Me Some Good Acting

Don Caballero – And And And He Lowered The Twin Down

So as many of you know, I’m going to be gone for the next month on tour with the Comedians of Comedy. However, I desperately want to update as much as I can and provide the T&G25 goodies I promised. So here we go…..
In 1987, I had just graduated high school and lived in southern Alabama. It wasn’t until 1989 when I lived in south central Pennsylvania that Scratch Acid became part of my lingo. As with many, living in the sticks (at least then, maybe not now) was a big limitation in knowing what was going on. Zines, mainly, kept me informed. Siltbreeze, Forced Exposure, Your Flesh and (obviously) Conflict were my crib sheets and hey, I was in college in the late 80’s. There wasn’t anywhere else to find out about anything. Except CMJ. But really, have they ever been tastemakers?
So where does Scratch Acid fit in this puzzle? They don’t really.

Scratch Acid – Traxx, Detroit ’85

I found out about The Jesus Lizard’s first EP, and then as with everything else, I cross referenced back to find Scratch Acid. Lucky me. As many of you are well familiar with Scratch Acid, I’ll refrain from writing a review. However, I do think it imperative to mention that Touch & Go reissued of SA’s Rabit Cat releases along with Berzerker on The Greatest Gift CD back in the mid-90’s. Obviously, I hope that if you don’t own this, you’ll figure out a way to get it. Although they cribbed heavily off their influences (namely Birthday Party), I think I’d be hard pressed to think of a more impressive body of work for a bunch of yokels from Austin in the mid-80’s other than Big Boys, Dicks and the Butthole Surfers.
And so as luck (or perceived coincidence) had it, I was in Austin this past weekend and saw Scratch Acid’s first show in 20 years. As much as I like Emo’s, I really don’t like sweaty Texas venues in late summer. However, it didn’t take  long for Scratch Acid to make me forget about how much I hate being wet and sticky. Starting off with "Mary Had A Little Drug Problem", the band didn’t really wow me as much as just make me really happy that I got to see one of their three shows. By the third song, Yow was leaning on the post in the center of the stage (seemingly) to catch his breath. You can’t fault the guy. He’s a bit out of practice. Brett flubbed a lot. However, Rey Washam and David Sims (probably the best rhythm section ever, other than maybe Sims and Mac McNeilly) didn’t miss a single beat. And I never get tired of seeing Sims on stage. He just held it down without so much as acknowledging the crowd. God, I love that sort of animosity. But anyway…..

Brett, Yow and Sims – Emo’s ’06 (photo by h2o)

The show got the better of me after the encore and I had to sit down and relax my legs. On the encore, Yow hoisted his body over the crowd and clocked the show in at around 50 minutes. A perfect set.
The recordings this time are from Scratch Acid’s 2nd to last show from back in 1987 in Pittsburgh at the infamous Electric Banana. This tape came to me straight from Damon Fitzgerald (neé Che) when he camped out at my house in Athens back in 1995 for a few weeks. God, time flies. The great b-side to this tape is Sonic Youth at the Banana the next nite. Ah, yes, those were the days.

Yow being….well, Yow – Emo’s ’06 (photo by h2o)

Scratch Acid – Mary Had A Little Drug Problem (Pittsburgh ’87)

Scratch Acid – This Is Bliss (Pittsburgh ’87)

Scratch Acid – Skin Drips (Pittsburgh ’87)

Scratch Acid – Live (VPRO ’87)