Last week I went to see a show in San Francisco. I walked in the door of the High Dive, off of the Embarcadero, and right as I was about to start talking to my homey James from Push to Talk, this total middle-aged, a-hole, hyphen-loving, schmooze-bag tries to buy us all drinks and then talk our ears off about his genius business ventures in Shanghai:"Yeah man, all these jazz cats who went to Korea and Japan 10 years ago have ended up in China and they're opening up these killer studios in Shanghai. CAN YOU IMAGINE RECORDING IN SHANGHAI? How much do you think that would be?"
"I dunno. You just record until the label cuts off the money!" (laughs shared by all)
(oblivious to anything anyone else has said) "Well what we're doing, we're pairing up bands with DJs, DJs are big in China. People in China don't know about music, they just like booze, so we're pairing up our music tours with Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker, and we're driving these party buses around with DJs. You see, what we got going, we got these buses with hydraulics, so we just drive around and set up and start rockin' with the DJs.
"Yeah, I'm sure setting up your party bus in Tiananmen Square is a genius idea." (more laughs at his expense)
"Actually, we're working with a club right around the corner from there. But, anyway, what we're doing is working with these DJs. We just paired up the Rolling Stones with them out there, it was great. Chinese people love music, music is huge in China. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW COOL THAT WOULD BE? Wouldn't you love going to China and recording then touring?" So anyway, what band are you in anyway?"
"I'm not in any of the bands tonight."
"Oh well anyway, What we're doing in China is real cool. Wouldn't it be killer to record in Shanghai and be the first one. You could call it the Shanghai Sessions. We'd bring the bands out there and pair them up with DJs. People in China, are just waiting for us to serve up some rock to them. You know what I'm saying?"
The worst part about all this was that me and my friend Skylar got cornered, so we were both trying to find a way out of it without having to ditch the other. I really had to go to the bathroom, so I skipped out halfway and left Skylar to fend for himself. I felt bad for leaving him there, so I finished up quickly and went back to find Skylar outside among a few other people, so I thought they could provide enough distraction for us, but bald homeboy wouldn't relent!! That's when we just called him on his bluff and told him, "LISTEN DUDE. Sign me a check and we'll fly to China and record, tour, party down, whatever. If you can't do that for us, SHUT THE F UP!!!!!!!!!"
Anyway, even after escaping from homeboy's fly-eating mouth, the show showed no signs of starting on time. So me and Skylar and a couple of his homeboys drove off to the Mission to get burritos. We hit up Los Farolitos, a place I've been to a couple of times before. The food was especially good this time, but the salsa wasn't so great. I'll stick with EL ABUELO in SAN JO, thank you very much!
We drove back to the show and got there in time to see most of Coke vs. Bills' set. The members of CvB are the bassist Joe and guitarist Matt from Rx Bandits, though Matt plays drums in CvB. Pretty much just a trashy, garagey hardcore band, just bass and guitar, with some really cool vocal interplay between the 2 members.Up next, after much drunken revelry/procrastinating, the next band finally got up to perform... PUSH TO TALK! NIIIICE.
I haven't seen them in quite a while, in almost a year probably. Since that time they've acquired a new drummer (ex-KGB), new guitarist (ex-A Burning Water), and a new bassist (ex-Push to Talk guitarist). I was kind of skeptical about how it would turn out, but they were really together, in a way that can't really be described. Together in energy, mood, purpose. Purpose? I told you I couldn't really describe it!!! It was really nice to see them again. I felt bad for having doubted their tightness for a even a second. I hear that they have their album out in Japan now, and that it's selling like HOT CAKES!!! Has anyone ever actually seen a hot cake sell though? Maybe it's not selling so well after all?????
You can listen to Coke vs. Bills HERE
For Push to Talk, go HERE mofos!
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