April 5 , 2003 - AS220 - Providence, RI
HENNING: It seems like it's been forever since I made that late night post-show drive down the Mass Pike. It used to happen a lot more and it was really nice to be back doing it again. One of my all-time favorite places in the world is the after-hours highway rest-stop, scattered with tired people of all types squinting under bright lights. McDonald's was closed for fifteen minutes while getting ready to start serving breakfast. Daylight-savings-time stole our french fries. Blessed be the Circle K. This is Brian, Lesa, and Myself, cracking up in the Circle K at an accidental mispronounciation of "Caramel Ho-Ho's". Punchy. We're returning from our first ever satisfying gig in Providence. Brian and I have played probably 5 shows together in that superman-skyscraper-city but they were all let-downs, either in angry places or empty places. I always heard that Providence was a great arts and music city but I had only ever played shows there that seemed to suggest the opposite. All past notions were shattered by AS220 and International Pen Pal. I.P.P were kind enough to invite us along on their bill after a mutual aquaintance recommended us to them. When we arrived at the place there was an earlier scheduled film and discussion going on so we took a walk around the cold-windy-desolate streets and ended up at a place called Mulligan's where Max and Anya were enjoying some french fries. We sat there and ordered some food, every fifteen minutes or so, Max and I would run back to AS220 but the early show was going long. Eventually we loaded in to the club and took over a few tables in the corner. The first band to play was the Water Section from Portsmouth, NH. It was nice. Moody pieces punctuated with smooth playing trumpet, a bassist/keyboardist, two guitars and drums. The room was starting to fill up and by the time we were to go on there was a great crowd. We set up quickly, playing as a four piece. I played electric guitar all night. We fit perfectly on the stage, very symetrical. We were immediately welcomed by the audience. There were people sitting at tables, so close that they sometimes put their feet up on the stage inches from mine, there were people leaning against the far far wall, and all the space in between seemed to be filled. After each song we received a warm response and all my banter was acknowledged. It was excellent. We played really well, too, I thought. Lots of energy, lots of feeling. After our set, the Ticks took the stage and began their show with a little skit in which they pretended that their drummer didn't show up, so the guitarist filled in. It was pretty funny, very campy. Later, after talking to them, I found out the real scoop which is that they really are looking for a new drummer and the guitarist actually is temporarily filling in. She did a good job, but I could see how they would be a little bit better with a seasoned drummer and a second guitarist. Their songs were strewn with banter and jokes. They were all wearing gauchos. Good times. International Pen Pal played their headlining slot. It was funny how their set-up is very similar to ours. In fact, they had their very own Ken Maiuri on keyboard/accordian/guitar/and xylophone. They played nice poppy quirky songs, unfortunately, they were a little loud for that room so I had to retreat to the back and put in my earplugs, in doing so, I lost some of the experience. But, I did trade a cd with them and have had a chance to listen once and it sounds good. I especially like the keyboard stuff. I also got a Water Section cd and recognized a bunch of the songs from their live show, I was glad to hear that the trumpet was all over the album as well. Very nice. One more note about International Pen Pal, they had funny pants. I talked with a bunch of people after the show, sold some cds, collected our activity pages (which people said they loved, loved, loved, but which didn't feature many drawings or hardly any names. I'll have to grade on a curve) and said goodbye to all our new friends. Hopefully we can figure a way out to get some of them over to Northampton some time soon. It woudl be super cool to play at AS220 again. I love that place. On the ride home, we listened to Mike Flood's new album "Canyon". Crazy freak, I dig it. Pudu. KEN: SFTD played at AS220 in providence tonight, an excellent show. maybe the best overall SFTD show so far?? there was a huge crowd, all facing us! watching! enjoying! applauding loudly! and i thought we played really well, too. it felt great. on the drive down to rhode island in the brianmobile, brian said it sort of felt like a tour. (no krispy kreme signs in sight, though.) it did feel tour-esque...rolling into town, walking around, at a loss for what to do but in a good way...lollygagging around a large (scarily unpopulated) city block and ending up walking past finnegan's and seeing max and anya inside, eating fries. the fries looked promising! max ran out to give the place the o.k., and we went in. brian suggested i try a fry, and if it was good, we'd stay. it was delicious!! (and way better than the dry, overdone fries i'd eventually get as part of my meal. boooooo.) it was a four-band bill and it was well-booked, i thought. at least based on the crowd reaction. folks respected and seemed to like the opening band (the water section), which sounded nothing like us, or the ticks who followed, but people got a kick out of each band (i couldn't stay for international pen pal), there was no mass exodus OR mass arrival -- fairly full house all night long. the activity pages once again got people doodling and smiling and interacting. our set, mostly ordered by max at the finnegan's table: 1. soup of the moment 2. something's taking over 3. ayla 4. pick a gripe 5. thug 6. martha 7. rock and roll camper 8. photobooth curtain 9. one lady dancing 10. omnivore my only complaint about the set is: I DON'T WANT TO PLAY "ONE LADY DANCING" AGAIN, FOR A LONG LONG TIME. i am not feeling that song at all these days. what about you guys? AS220 was a very cool, friendly venue ("it's like a for-profit flywheel," said henning, "there should be a place like this in northampton."). laid-back, apparently well-known as a good place to go for live music because the crowd really was big. thanks, everybody!! driving to the show, the brianmobile gang decided we all like the new essex green album, "the long goodbye." the first four songs are especially excellent pop! (and on the way home, max and anya seemed to like it, too.) BRIAN: MAX: TONY:	Soup of the Moment Somthing's Taking Over Ayla Pick a Gripe Thug Everuyboydy Loves Martha One Lady Dancing Photobooth Curtain Rock and Roll Camper Omnivore Activity Pages