January 31, 2004 - The Squealing Pig - Provincetown, MA with: The Fawns
brian says: P-town: In the off season, Provincetown still has plenty to offer! Like a venue for out of town bands The Fawns and School for the Dead, both of whom put on spirited, excellently-played shows. Ahbi was the best possible host. We are eager to return when the weather is warmer. Now I've left a lot out. Do me proud, boys. ken m says: i missed all the super bowl festivities thanks to a super nap. after the long drive back from provincetown i tried to wake up/unwind by reading more of "everything is illuminated" by jonathan safran foer (great book) but the reading made me tired and it's winter and beds are warm and next thing i know it's past midnight. i like this sort of weird, dreamlike, out-of-time feeling (as long as i don't have to try to do anything important). actually i had a few different dreams during the nap. in one of them, i found myself in a new tarantino film, which then turned into a performance in a gymnasium. when the gym show was over, though i decided i don't really like his movies, i went over to talk to tarantino anyway. he was very tall, and polite to me. while we were talking, these sportsy guys in football shirts and caps kept interrupting and he'd turn around, seething, saying, "why am i going to talk to you? you didn't even say "hello" first" and then he'd turn back to me. it happened so often during our conversation that i tried to make a joke about their rudeness, "maybe it's because they're wearing a lot of mesh" but as i said it i noticed that under tarantino's suitcoat, his collar was also blue sports mesh, and i was horrified at my comment. so, provincetown. GREAT show! one of the best SFTD (and fawns!) shows yet, as loud and good as we've ever played. it was all a success thanks to ahbi, who booked the gig and watched over the whole thing from start to finish. ahbi is a sweetheart. i never use that word, but it fits her perfectly -- she was so kind and thoughtful, making sure we were taken care of with food, drink, accommodations. we were pampered! if she and jose got together as managers or agents or something, they'd conquer the world with their energy and niceness. we played the squealing pig tavern on provincetown's main drag, dark and desolate in the january freeze. stores were closed, streets empty...a big difference from the only other time i played there, back in the summer with spouse. you couldn't drive a car down the street, there were so many people shopping and browsing and roaming. we got to town early and grabbed a window seat at the pig. the heater was right under the booth and my legs were happy. ahbi pulled up outside, here comes the sun. the place was nearly empty at 7 p.m., the food was yummy (i got the fish fry). eventually we loaded in the gear and the place started to fill up, as ahbi knew it would. leebee had friends and relatives visiting, and she and the fawns put on a great first set, the mellower side of their oeuvre. thanks to an in-depth piece in a local paper that highlighted lesa's voice/songwriting, she had excited fans in the crowd, and tony and i were among them, sitting right up front. i couldn't help singing harmonies to "a little bit nervous," one of my favorite fawns songs (which i've said already in many a blog). and then eight songs later, with a jack and ginger in me, it was SFTD's time to rock. we had planned to play on the quieter side (as per instructed by the bar staff), but the fawns had gotten the crowd humming, so we kicked in with "disgruntled lover" and played an energetic first set. the whiskey whistled around my head and i found myself being a little more animated at the keyboard. the room was crowded and there were interested onlookers lined up along the right of us, keeping a close eye on brian's swinging drumming. (later, during "omnivore," i had to do the same, awestruck at the continuous tumble of toms.) time for fawns, round two, and they kicked out the jams this time, whipping through rockers like "wicked cold," with max joyfully pummeling two of the six strings on his bass. lesa even put her leg up on the monitor for "silly." some guys, beer in hand, were right up by the band, nodding their head in approval to the insistent, fuzzed-out rock. lesa and henning had invited me up to join the fawns for a cover of "don't stop believin'," and it was a super thrill to launch into those opening piano chords and hear the place erupt into cheers, knowing that lesa was going to belt and the band would kick in...when the song was over, i made it back to my seat and a woman yelled out happily towards the band, "play more journey!!" SFTD returned to play even louder, faster, and crazier. my ears were ringing even during the set. it surprised me to later to realize we hadn't played any improvised covers or done any fooling around all night long, but there was no time! the sets were tight, no weak moments, no downtime. we even changed the set list as we went along, dropping slow numbers like "1000 times" and "candy cane" for quicker things like "soup of the moment" and "V66." after a good night's sleep in a museum of sorts, ahbi treated us to breakfast sandwiches, OJ and french press coffee. i got to drink out of a pac-man glass. then it was a leisurely drive home with pit stops and drop-offs. i do not recommend entemann's "popems" brand donut holes. bleeeeeagh. i do, however, recommend utz brand "mystic chips" (gourmet dark russet potato chips). pricey but oh so tasty! Max Says: Anya and I drove up separately from the band van, as I had family to visit on the Cape. I wished we could have done the whole band bonding thing but, as it turns out, we would have been strapped to the roof in order to fit all the equipment. In other bands I've felt some of the best shows have happened after riding together in a van for a few hours. The laughing, arguing, sleeping, singing and farting that happens between band members is... special. We arrived at the Pig feeling a little road weary and droopy, but after a big bowl of smokey chowdah and curry fries (!) we were feeling better. The Newcastle also helped. Then another Newcastle really helped. I was happy that lots of people were in the club. The Fawns seemed to go over really well, and, I think, better than Schooly D. Both bands were tighter than a shut clam (see band van bonding). Ok, so the new Fawns' song almost fell off the wagon, but it was redeemed by the Journey cover. I was happy to play Omnivore again, though I hope at some point soon we return to the extended Who-like chaotic ending. I would love to play the Pig again and next time I'll find a place in the van, even	Photos by Anya - Edited by Henning