One of our neighbors let me scan in this photo yesterday. You see the subway ramp being built up on the left and 423 Smith (currently the home of OrangeYouGlad) in its1930’s state as a ice cream/candy/grocery joint on the right. Click the image above for a larger version.
Since we last checked in with Goes Cube quite a bit has been happening.
Ready? Here we go…..
The guys returned from a month long kick-ass tour played the amazing homecoming show , destroyed some equipment, released a new video and signed with WARNER to distribute their EP Beckon the Dagger God. What better way to celebrate than with a great show tonight. You should go see them and enjoy a celebratory face melting.
Tonight:
Luna Lounge // 7:30
361 Grand Street Brooklyn, NY
with Tim Fite and the Constantines
not quite the same as it ever was…
According to science, the bay breeze is not only a delicious beverage but it is also a healthy one.
More fun toys that I didn’t have when I was a kid:
via Plime.com
Ms. Waller crochets some truly crazy pieces. What level of genius thinks of crocheting a prosthetic arm?
we didn’t have cool Barbies like these:
via Plime.com
I can just imagine what toys would be in the basement of the Barbie Dreamhouse:
so - you’ve all been eagerly reading about the goes cube tour, and now we have a special treat for you. The band has released a video for Song 30 (premiering today at stereogum) so you can now look and listen for yourself. (over and over and over again). The video for Song 30 was shot in 16mm b/w and does all sorts of neat stuff with film speed and lighting. It is a perfect gritty visual accompaniment to the the raw intensity of the song. Check it out.
This cat takes a commuter bus to “work” every morning — getting on at his home bus stop and hopping off at the local fish and chips shop. I’m not even kidding.
The homecoming show at the Mercury Lounge was better than expected. And, trust me, we had some very high expectations. Especially considering the occasion, the bill, and the fact that the Mercury Lounge is probably our favorite venue.
As nearly all rock shows do, the show ran a little late. The band who played before us (Pilot To Gunner, who is awesome, and who we’ve all liked for a long time), started playing at 9:20, and their set was over a couple minutes after 10. We set up our gear as soon as they broke down. By this time, I wanted to run to the bathroom (had two beers before our set). So I ran downstairs to the “green room,” where there were a lot of people hanging around. The bathroom was occupied, but a guy who appeared to be waiting as well said, “No, I’m not waiting. They’ll be right out.” A few minutes later, I discovered he used the “they” pronoun not because he was unsure of the user’s gender, but because there were two people in the bathroom - an incredibly coked up looking girl, and some guy. I mention this because I then proceed to have one of the strangest and most annoying exchanges I’ve had in a while:
Unaware Coked-up girl: (clutching the guy around the neck; they’re both still in the bathroom) Are you Kurt?
Confused Me: No, but I’m supposed to be on stage right now, would you mind if I got in there for a few moments?
Stupid Coked-up girl: Is he Kurt?
Sensible Other guy: No, but he’s performing right now. Let him in.
Disgusting Coked-up girl: Where’s Kurt? Are you sure you’re not Kurt?
Annoyed Other guy: He’s not Kurt, but get out of there so he can get in!
Stupid Disgusting Coked-up girl: Not if he’s not Kurt (giggle).
Incredibly Aggravated Me: Jesus Christ.
[Repulsive Coked-up Mess closes door, as I turn and go back upstairs to the stage where I’ll sweat the beer out]
Scene.
So then I get back on stage, and Matt tells me “It’s 10:20, and we just got told we have to be done by 10:45.” Now I’m pissed off. It’s standard that rock shows run late, but it’s entirely unreasonable that our set should be cut short. For one, we didn’t do anything to make the show run late. For another, it was a very important show for us. Kenny came over and said, “Don’t worry: If the crowd loves it, they won’t yank it.” At the point, I actually thought he was simply relaying a message from the soundguy, but as it turned out, he was just stating his personal theory. Either way, it was enough.
Oddly the experience I had in the green room, and then being told our set might be cut nearly in half was kind of perfect for the set. It made me angry, which is good for the music we play. And I think it caused us to play faster and with more urgency than usual. Always a good thing.
We barely paused between songs. Just enough to occasionally thank people and say the next song. But really, our goal was to start the next song before they could make a determination that it was time for us to stop. In the end, though, the crowd was almost as amped up as we were. Really amazing to see the Mercury Lounge, almost at capacity, just going nuts.
On the tenth song, I switched over to the custom Squier Stratocaster I had purchased in Kansas City. We played “Goes Cube Song 33.” The guitar didn’t survive, but some friends and fans got to walk away with some mementos from the show.
Afterwards, we got some exciting news, but I can’t post about that yet. Nothing is for sure. However, if all goes well, we’d consider it to be part of the tour. So, when I can, I will.
This isn’t the tour wrap-up post, so I won’t go into my fear about how I’ll feel as I re-adjust to playing shows once every three weeks, rather than every night. Suffice it to say, though, touring is something we all fell in love with.
More on that later.
Check out a really awesome review of the show here!
Also be sure to check out EarFarm today or tomorrow, as I’m sure he’s going to be posting something soon.
When we got to Columbus, we were greeted by Bo Davis of the excellent band, Necropolis. Once again, he and his wife, Emily (also a member of Necropolis), opened up their home to us. We had a couple beers, watched some Simpsons, Bo and I changed our guitar strings, and then Bo re-soldered some wires on a backup guitar I picked up in Kansas City.
That night, we played Bourbon Street with Necropolis. Bourbon Street is all of about 200 feet from Necropolis’ house. It’s an awesome little divey kind of venue that also has cheap Mexican food. The sound wasn’t fantastic, but it was a really fun show, and we played for an interested and eager handful of people. Necropolis played after us, and were just awesome as they always are. Noisy and energetic and catchy. That band rules.
Afterwards, we watched some Comedy Central, ate sandwiches, (Jimmy John’s, I’ve missed you), played with their cats, Ash and Ella (8 months old) and went to bed. We had a leisurely morning filled with fresh coffee and World’s Wildest Police Videos. Then we we took Emily out to lunch at a really cool little place she recommended and actually got FRESH FOOD!
Our drive out to Pittsburgh was kind of awesome because Goes Cube Matt and Kenny watched “A Mighty Wind” in the back. EarFarm Matt and I had just watched that movie the day before, and it was hilarious, so we ran the sound throughout the van, so we could enjoy it up front. That movie is awesome even when it’s just the sound.
Pittsburgh wasn’t a stellar show. Their fault: We played with six one-man guitar-bands. INCREDIBLY mismatched. Our fault: We opened with “Goes Cube Song 27,” which is probably our slowest song. Don’t get me wrong, I love the song, but it’s just not a good opener, I think. Or at least, not for a crowd who doesn’t know our music. So, it was a rough start. However, I think things started clicking on our 3rd or 4th song. Unfortunately, we played a short set, so by that time we pretty much had to wrap it up.
Our goal was to get an early jump on our drive back to NYC - maybe stop off in Harrisburg, PA for a state cap picture. But once the mini-van hit the Harrisburg city limits, we all had New York City on the back of our minds. A quick show of hands determined that, indeed, we all wanted to go home. So, I grabbed a 20-ounce cup of coffee, topped off the tank, and we headed eastward.
Four hours later, at around 5am, we were waving goodbye to Matt EarFarm, and moments later, crossing the East River, Brooklyn-bound. Anyone who lives here and who’s been away for a month knows what I mean when I say that’s an incredible experience. Despite the fatigue, despite the feeling of not wanting something to end, it’s just unmatched.
Neither Kenny nor I got any sleep, though. We were just overtired. But yesterday was relaxing anyway. Saw a couple friends. Spent some very quality time. Rested. Last night, I actually slept and I feel great today. Which is important because:
THE TOUR IS NOT OVER. Tonight, is the last night of the tour. We play our homecoming show at the Mercury Lounge. It’s an awesome bill, and we expect a hell of a turn out. So with that, I have to go change guitar strings, resolder some wires, and get ready to pack the van.
I’ll definitely post a wrap up of tonight’s show, and maybe some other post-tour compendiums (of pictures, bowling recollections, etc).
A quick note to all who are thinking of coming out (and you should!): Get there early. Like beforedoors open. Like 7:30ish. There are no advanced ticket sales, and the general feeling is that this show may sell-out, and it may sell-out quickly. It’s at the Mercury Lounge (Houston and Essex).
2 random pictures from the interweb for you today - just cause.
beautiful scratch and sniff sticker produced by company with best name ever “Mello Smellos”
and, a hidden camera photograph of the Easter candy at the office. (submitted by AFD)
OrangeYouGlad (the design studio that brings you 423smith) is looking for a talented designer (or 2) for full time employment. We mostly do web and identity design with a bit of print thrown in the mix. So, if you are interested in joining our little family check out the job listings here.
We are also starting a ping-pong squad so if you have mad ping-pong skillz we want to hear about it!
yes there is a hot dog under there!
Went to Chicago for the weekend, ordered room service, walked on the edge of a very big lake, hung out with some good friends from college and their babies, surprised the Goes Cube and saw them play an excellent show, and most importantly we also surveyed both the famous deep dish pizza and the Chicago hot dog.
I am sorry fans of the deep dish pizza, but it just can’t compete with New York pizza. We went to Gino’s East and had a sausage and cheese. It was, well, bland. The crust was so thick and corn-bready we didn’t even get half way through it. Sorry, just not our cup of pizza. New York (and in particular Spumoni Gardens and the new joint in Carroll Gardens on Henry Street) have won the pizza battle, hands down.
But alas, the Chicago hot dog is without compare. We give credit where credit is due, and the Chicago dog, loaded with fresh chopped goodies from onions to relish to pickles and all other items in between along with a serious smear of mustard (ketchup is a serious no-no) it is absolutely delicious.
I do believe earfarm agrees with us.
