I might have to set foot in the (ugh) Cubby Bear soon. Gin Blossoms are playing there in late August. I won tix to see the Violent Femmes last year, and turned them down once I found out the show was there. Couldn't bear the thought of a couple hundred drunk fratboys singing "Blister in the Sun."

Buddy from high school just played a show there on Thursday. It was dreadful, my first time there. They've got a real stage and PA system and lighting rig but the place is literally lined with flat screen televisions and filled with douche-baggery galore. My buddy's band is terrible, too. They played a set of originals then "Power Of Love" which was alright I guess, but went straight into some Dave Matthews Band song and the crowd went wild.

There was no cover and $2 you-call-it's on Thursday though. I spent eight dollars.

Creepy D played there once. The guys all wore matching white shirts with our band names on them in black block letters. Creepy wore a red karate outfit with a big dragon on the back. Creepy had this idea he was going to wear a neck brace, run up on stage, and tell a joke about hurting himself sucking his own dick, if I remember correctly. I was standing stage left with my '63 Gibson SG bass, Creepy ran up the little stairs and I happened to turn at that very second. Hit him dead on with my bass neck and knocked him flat to the floor on his back. He got up neckbrace on and all and told the joke. Our set at that time was, um, pretty fucking weird and it's safe to say we never got asked back.

I still have the neck brace in my basement.

I suppose I can't really take any kind of high ground since I'm into the fucking Gin Blossoms of all bands, but man, that place sounds terrible.

Fuck it, I'll save the $22.50 and see them for free at Palatine Street Fest the next night. Burbs represent!

It's not that bad for dancing if you're wasted.

There are 4 flies in Logan Square and they're all in my studio apartment right now.

July 7, 2007

JERRY DAVICH

"If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago, I might be here with you."

-- "Hey Jealousy" by the Gin Blossoms

He walked around aimlessly, like he was looking for something he lost. I'm just guessing, but I think he lost it years ago. And now it's gone for good.

I remember him in his younger days. A star athlete. A playboy's smile. A teenager's dreams. A world at his feet.

This past Monday night, his world looked as gray as his hair as he shuffled alone through the Hobart Jaycees Fest crowd, nursing a bottomless beer. He wandered like a drifting tumbleweed during the performance of the Gin Blossoms that evening.

That's right, the Gin Blossoms, the alternative pop band that launched several catchy tunes in the mid 1990s, including their big hit, "Hey Jealousy."

That's right, the annual Hobart Jaycees Fest, the quintessential region event that sprouts up each summer in the Strack & Van Til parking lot at U.S. 6 and Indiana 51.

The band's lead singer even joked about dining at the nearby Arby's after the show.

At least I think he said that over the mild applause of the 1,478 people who showed up. But I'll bet half the crowd would have paid the $10 entry fee simply for the handy excuse to party outside together on a beautiful weekday night.

The lead singer surmised the same scenario, telling the crowd, "This is a lot like a frat party."

And he was right. There were plenty of college-aged kids in the crowd, many just happy to be allowed at the adult table, so to speak. You know, the girls dressed skin-tight for their strut on the region runway. And the guys looking as cool as possible at a Gin Blossoms concert in Hobart, Indiana.

There also were Gin Blossom fans, like Julie King and Doni Antonson, friends since childhood who introduced themselves to me. And other fans who hoisted cell phones in the air to snap photos or video, strangely taking the place of Bic lighters held high for a concert encore.

But what I found much more intriguing was my middle-aged crowd, like the former jock I mentioned above who blended in to the crowd all too easily.

And the women in their 40s whose looks have wilted under the sun through the years, but whose flower-power personalities have not. And the black-clad biker dudes who champion free-spirit individuality, yet most dressed identically alike in jeans, vests, and bandanas, as if from a cookie-cutter Central Casting company.

Similar to the rock band on stage whose pop-star bloom has withered through the years, I noticed many middle-aged partygoers who seemed to show up out of habit more than happenstance.

Maybe it's the familiarity of such social gatherings and the search for that youthful strut again, only to stumble over regrets from their younger days.

Maybe it's being recognized by old friends, like the comforting "Noooorrrrrrm!" from the old TV show "Cheers." Maybe their spouses coaxed them out of their comfort zone cave for a night to howl at the moon.

Or maybe, just like the Gin Blossoms, even though their glory days reigned over them years ago they're still hoping to capture lightning in a bottle just one more time.

The Gin Blossoms hinted about this in their hit song, "Hey Jealousy," as the crowd happily sang along.

"The past is gone but something might be found to take its place."

I wondered who else was listening as the words left their mouths.

this is obviously the best part
"That's right, the annual Hobart Jaycees Fest, the quintessential region event that sprouts up each summer in the Strack & Van Til parking lot at U.S. 6 and Indiana 51."

lol @ a concert in a grocery store parking lot being the 'quintessential' event for any region.

has there ever been a single music article about a band like this where the "omg cell phones as lighters how crazy" thing wasn't mentioned?

Good Disco fucking rules.

True, the guy looking ridiculous is more or less the point.

More

or

Less?

that's a guy?

somewhat offensive:

Dude, don't even. I think I'll be manning a booth at this effing thing.

It's also 93.1° in said apartment. That's up from, like, 90° only an hour ago.

10/10

Prepare to be humiliated on the internet by a series of cellphone pictures.

oh, he'll do it. he's done it before.

haha. Poor, Wolfie. And why don't you have air conditioning?

Cubby Bear sucks. Don't waste your time, Yancy.

I would totally drive the ten minutes to Palatine to see the Gin Blossoms

misread the post but I'd do the same for the Violent Femmes. I love that a band with a five-star album on allmusic will still play places like Durty Nellies. Sucks to be irrelevant for 20 years.

Gin Blossoms were actually really good a few years ago in Bartlett, of all places. Feel free to laugh.

I don't have a screen for my window and I only like running my window a/c at night, when I need it to fall asleep. But this is getting ridiculous.

the 90's produced lots of songs worse than "Found Out About You". I'll still vouch for the whole album.

I think this week you might need to run it all day. It's going to be really hot. Don't be so frugal.

Well I don't have a dog to worry about but you're right. As much as I claim it's about helping the Earth, I'm really just being cheap.

get a fan and a really big ice cube. it works in the cartoons!

You guys remember Pailhead?

Yeah.

I really liked them.

I've also heard it takes less energy to run it all day instead of turning it off and on. I don't know if that's true in your case, but if it helps you justify it, so be it.

It's a little toasty in my house right now too. I hate hate hate air conditioning. There are probably 4 nights a year where it's hard to sleep because it's too warm. The rest of the nights are fine with a window fan. Sounds like this week is going to be the 4 bad nights.

My office is freezing every day. I think the lady with the hot flashes is in charge of the thermostat. I'm like Mr. Rogers - I come in and put on a sweater. I keep the same shoes on though.

When I was a kid we stayed with my very frugal grandmother some in the summer. She would take the sheets off our beds and put them in the freezer about an hour before we were going to bed. We'd get all ready for bed, put the sheets on and then hurry up and fall asleep before they got hot. And then you could always turn the pillow over once and get the cool side. I may have to do that tonight....

Yep. I might even still have one of their albums at home.

Edit: Wait, they just had one right? And it was an EP?

They had a seven inch, and then the 12 ep, TRAIT. The cd version of the ep included the 7"

The only Pailhead recordings I've ever owned are whatever's on the Wax Trax Black Box.

Ah yes, it's all coming back to me. In honor of the old days I'll wear all black for the rest of the day. My salute to Al Jourgensen.

How about Acid Horse?

No name, No slogan.

"I Will Refuse" and "No Bunny" were played, re-played and then re-played again enough so that I know 2 or 3 people that had to replace their cassette tapes "back in the day". I'm one of them.

I think that would be "I Will Refuse." Or is "No Bunny" on there too?

Maybe I'll pull out the old Black Box set when I get home…probably not.

edit: Oh, Alan.

Great song!

That's what all the ladies say (only breathy-er).

Industrial kids spooked me out a bit -- they twirled around too much to really have any idea what was going on in the world. There's no way they could with all that spinning...just spinning around and acting like a mantis. Some decent tunes, though...

I heard that you like to twirl at shows now.

haha. I remember going to clubs and that industrial dance you speak of...dancing to the wax trax tunes, Skinny Puppy, FLA, Siouxsie and the Banshees, etc. I miss those days. Me and my industrial/goth friends scared a few people in our day. Indiana didn't know what to do with us. I was definitely less extreme than my friends, but it was all pretty crazy. If I had a scanner I could post some really interesting pictures for you.

As I look back, how the hell did we dance to that stuff? Skinny Puppy?

"Share your knowledge and experiences. With a retard." ♥
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burpless cucumber my ass

I don't get it. Why is it offensive?

ass, my burpless cucumber

I dated a guy loser for several months last year who overused the term "per se." Now I can't stand that term. He ruined it for me!

beware of pretty westchester girls bearing gifts.