Hey everyone. I just learned of something fun that is happening this Friday at Annabells in Akron…and it’s FREE!
The Decline, a NOFX cover band project featuring members of past acts like Friends Back East and D.F.T.W. will be playing a set at Annabells for all who decide to attend.
Local Cleveland punk rockers (and great friends of mine) The Facials have decided to jump on the bill as well as the still smells-like-new Akron act Worship This! (also friends of mine).
If you were once of the seven people that accidentally read my Best Of 2010 post a couple months back, you might remember that The Facials dressed up as NOFX and played a Halloween set at Now That’s Class. It was fun, they sounded good, and everyone in the venue was loving it. I am pretty sure that The Decline will do the very same as they are a group of good guys looking to just have a night of fun.
Doors are at 10pm and admission is free unless you are under 21 and in that case you will need to sell your soul or offer up $3.00 (I think).
Don’t act like anything else is going on Friday night in Akron. Be there.
I am sure I have bragged about this before but… I’m going to be checking out SXSW finally, well sort of. I am going to be missing a few days of it thanks to school but will be able to catch the latter end as I will be arriving in Austin on March 18th around noon.
Why am I telling you all this? Well why wouldn’t I? I’m stoked to actually check some of this amazing span of days in one of my favorite cities.
Plus I am hoping people from Austin will read this and give me a ride from the airport to the city as I have things to do!!! Just kidding, I made arrangements already.
Shirts For A Cure will be putting on a free show at Red 7 that will start right around the time my plane lands. I am hoping I can make it there in time to see Paint It Black, Fake Problems, BANE, Title Fight, Riverboat Gamblers, Dave Hause, and The Flatliners. I am not holding my breath though as I am sure a ton of kids will get there before I do.
Later that night I need to poke around the city and find The Scoot Inn as Screeching Weasel, Banner Pilot, Dead To Me, and The Flatliners (2 shows in one night!) will be playing a later set. I am pretty certain that this show is going to not be free and I will do my best to find a way in as I did not obtain a SXSW bracelet since I am only going to be there technically for two days.
Saturday afternoon it looks like Alternative Press is having a free afternoon of music as well but I am not too sure I am going to dig any of the bands so we shall see. If anything I will spend that day eating good food and seeing good people.
I plan on making it over to Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon (see Ginny on the right) and see Dale Watson and crew play a show on Sunday the 20th. That right there would make my weekend. Plus I hear the chicken-shit bingo is a ton of fun too. Mike B., I’ll be looking for you man!!!
Other than those couple events I have nothing really planned for my 5 days in the coolest city in Texas other than hanging with one of the coolest ladies on Earth. I hope to mingle with some other friends too that I have who live in the area as well as meet up with some of the PR folks who help keep this site awesome including JT and Vanessa.
I am sure I will spend a dollar or two at Waterloo Records and I am hoping to see the cool parts of town and maybe see about getting a permanent souvenir again at Triple Crown Tattoos (not counting on that as Austin is going to be insane, but still…).
There is a huge difference between a gimmick and a good idea. For Me First & The Gimmie Gimmies (Me First), a punk rock super-band of sorts, their idea of covering classic songs with a punk rock twist is far from a gimmick.
Featuring members from acts such as Swingin’ Utters, NOFX, Foo Fighters, and Lagwagon, Me First originally was just a side project with the members only wanting record cover songs to offer them up on compilations. Soon after they were releasing singles followed by full length albums through Fat Wreck Chords that covered all sorts of genres from rock to country and to even showtunes. 16-years later the band is still pushing out cover songs that sometimes (who am I kidding – everytime) sound better than the original.
This time around, Me First has graced everyone with five Australian band covers on the Me First Go Down Under EP. It’s a quick listen, but at the same time absolutely brilliant. The band also made sure to drop the EP when they were touring in Australia.
So what is it about hearing a punk version of “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS that is so damn enjoyable? Maybe because it is sped up, or perhaps because lead vocalist Spike just has a great singing voice. I should admit that I may have liked that song growing up, but prefer the Me First version hands down – it sounds so much better.
Hearing Air Supply’s “All Out Of Love” made me wonder about the challenge this band endured while covering such a cheesy track. As much as I despise this song I could not help but crack a smile while it played through and hold myself back from singing along.
“Friday On My Mind” by the Easybeats was entertaining but not as much as hearing the boys cover Olivia Newton-John’s “Have You Never Been Mellow”. I used to hate that song but now have a new found love for it. Thanks guys. Ending the EP was a Rick Springfield cover of “I’ve Done Everything For You”.
It is very possible that Me First recorded this album in a weekend for kicks and giggles on their end as well as for their fans. I am sure it was still a difficult task to learn the songs with a straight face as well as find some free time to get together. After all, these guys have full time gigs in the music world.
Being that Me First is just a side project, the band members are all some pretty busy people with their actual bands. It’s nice to see them keep up this fun little cover band, one that I have been a fan of since high school. I hope for their sake and mine it continues for years to come.
I still have yet to see this band live as somehow I missed them when they played the Warped Tour years ago in Cleveland. I blame beer for that one because I know I was at that show. Still, I am sure they will be back soon and maybe if I win the lottery anytime soon I can head to Vegas and see them play at the Punk Rock Bowling show on 05/29/2011. That would be awesome.
I may have mentioned before that Me First is not a gimmick but also they are not to be taken seriously. They are a group of great guys out there just having some fun reinventing classics into something much more tolerable to most folks’ ears. Check out their latested EP, I guarantee you will enjoy it. At just $8 for a 7″ or CD it is well worth the price for something fun to listen to.
Once upon a time there was a melodic punk/indie/rock band called Explosivo!.
Hailing from the quiet town of Long Island, N.Y., the band featured a group of guys who you can now find in acts like Iron Chic, Wax Phantom and Small Arms Dealer. They were good, they were damn good.
Dead Broke Rekerds described them as a mix of “Piebald & Pantera hanging out at Guns ‘N Wankers house.” Sadly they broke up in 2001 so finding anything by them has been quite the challenge.
Lucky for us Dead Broke Rekerds & Limited Pressing were nice enough to re-release a hidden gem of a DIY album. Released digitally on BandCamp (see below) as well as vinyl, it is almost like Explosivo! has been given a second chance to be heard by anyone who might have missed them long ago.
If you are a vinyl fanatic like I am hurry up and grab onebefore they sellout. Act even faster and you might score yourself a glow-in-the-dark version that is limited to 50. At $10 you can bet your grits I already grabbed one! Plus the rest of the Dead Broke Rekerds store is full of awesome swag and shipping is only $4!
Happy Birthday to Mr. Henry Rollins who turned 50 today. You make getting older something to look forward to. To the man who has never changed one outlook on his life and continually expressed his honest views upon the world, thank you for being who you are. You are an inspiration to me and always will be.
Hank will be returning to Cleveland on March 25th to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Sadly I will be missing him as I will be out of town, but I did catch him last year when he dropped by Kent to do a spoken word. You can read my recap HERE.
I plan on making it over to 
