A Closer Look at These Exotic Venues.

Many of the venues we are playing on this upcoming tour have exotic and mysterious names. Some bear historical references, others an otherworldly association. Here is a selection:

The Edinburgh Castle. (8/29). This San Francisco drinking establishment has been around for over 50 years. Regally decorated amid a rustic, wooden interior, the Castle is aptly named for its unpopularity among the peasantry (by which it is entirely surrounded), and its dedicated service to the elite upper class of artists and musicians. Bosoms here are big and boasted; DJs are fed grapes and wear green Jester tights. 

Broken Neck Warehouse. (9/4).  Hardly a vague designation for a show space. This is a storage space for broken necks. "Broken Neck" could be Texas slang for something more benign, like an empty bottle of beer. Doubtful. With the theme of beer and Texas we also have the following:

Beerland. (9/5). I picture an enchanted beer garden different from those found at outdoor rock festivals, those unsightly places peppered with brash fashions and disposable red cups. None of that here. At Beerland, everyone looks and behaves like Pig Champion or Randy Turner. Smiling clouds chase you around like in Mario Brothers video games.

Asterisk. (9/12). Asterisk: a mark to reference a notation or omitted information. An object resembling a star. I don't know much about this Brooklyn show space other than what I saw on their Myspace page. There were photos of the Fall, Brian Chippendale, Wrangler Brutes, etc. The name of the club dryly references its extraordinary vibe. 

The Golden West Cafe. (9/15). This cafe sounds like a novelty shop one would find off Route 1 on the way to Big Sur, or, if you substituted "cafe" with "casino", a very conventional sounding Indian place for gambling. But the Golden West Cafe is actually in Baltimore, and remains a curiosity.

The Love Garden. (9/20) Being a young person, a name like Love Garden will have no shortage of instant dizzying associations. Opium flowers, female dwarfs, iced cold tea. Love Garden conveys a sense of southern hospitality and sunshine, which will be so welcome this far into the tour. 

 

The Lion's Lair. (9/21). Our final show will be in Denver, and it will be a spectacle. Afterwards, we'll hit the bath houses to congratulate ourselves and reflect on a tour well done. One last night in punk band fantasy land, before work and real life catches up with Nodzzz again.