A. "Pre-Show"
A.0.1 Juice by Jerry talks about plastic surviving into a new distant future where whatever lives, maybe a race of insectoids will assemble all the plastic pieces into beast, like dinosaur bones.A1 It had been a while since I had a burrito at The Comet and since my associate, Author and 'Dude-thusiast' John Burris had a thirst and I room for a few extra carb-points to get me thru the evening, I suggested burritos and brew. Good talk and ample reggae songs aside (love reggae on the SS when at the comet-feels right) I think back and honestly can’t remember the last time I actually had a burrito. I had to quietly settle on an arbitrary timeframe. 2+ years. Wow... Needless to say, it was delicious and gives Habaneros a run for its money for first... Chipotle is a solid third.
A1.1 TAGS seen walking from parked car to Northside Tavern (NST: 'TA' (traditional arrow from middle bar of the 'A' pointing to the right). 'Zen'. 'FLAW'. 'Reieh'
A2 John Burris let me have a swig of his DRAGONBREATH bourbon barrel beer (I think that’s what it was called) and it was mighty tasty. Like a Guinness mixed with Rye. Also good stuff.
A2 seeing Jon Lorenz sitting adjacent to a huge area rug awaiting a band to set up with his thickening beard and dark sunglasses was good stuff. I gave, and received a beard nod... And regretted trimming my own face rug.B. "Arrival"
B1 Hot. I’ve lived in Georgia and Louisiana as a teen. Those places are hot but really, Cincinnati style hot is a special sort of hot... The kind where you go outside the Northside Tavern and its little smoker’s enclave that’s only open to one side facing Hamilton Ave that’s NOT a wall or structure holds the heat like a pizza oven. 20 seconds of that had me quickly returning inside. You know what they say about heat and kitchens... Fuck that shit. Being exposed to that stifling heat made NST's AC feel even better.
B2 Let the record show that when I woke up on the morning previous, I did not have a 'zine' but less than 24 hours later, I did* and this day served as an official release. Jonathan Stout as part of DINOSAURS AND THUNDER (D+T) asked me to read a poem before they play their last show with this version of D+T. I chose "A Wolf Crying Wolf" that actually mentions and references Rob Santel and a show The Socials and D+T played at 1207 before its "up cline" (decision to NOT have bands play). So, BAD DAY AT THE PLASTIC MINES was born... The WOLF poem was its content.
B2.1 Also let the record show that a mere 15 steps inside NST had me find Jason Snell and compatriots from OLD CITY and such... Jason buys the first copy of BAD DAY as does everyone else at the table (!). I have Jason sign the dollar stuffing it inside a copy of the zine (I think) that I would later sell forgetting about that dollar so someone got a dollar back... Not their dollar, but one signed by Jason Snell. Jason being BAD DAYS first 'hard sell' will stick with me for the rest of my life. Jason is someone I admire greatly on several levels with the most important one being a great guy. He is MY Bruce Springsteen.
B2.2 I would later as Jason to belt out a measure of "Love is A Battlefield" which he did a capella. It was beautiful in more ways than one.
B2.3 Sammy Mckee and I share laughs with the entire table of guest as we recount whoever it was I thought was Sammy outside The Blue Jay who extolled the strength of a Goetta omelet placing the idea in my head that directly influenced me to purchase my own Goetta omelet less than an hour later. However, it wasn’t Sammy... I still don’t know who it was, but they knew me and even though I’m terrible with names, I’m great remembering faces and shared salutations anyhow.
B2.3 I 'check-in' with Jonathan Stout and Rob Santel. Jon is texting his dad "Dear Dad, I play guitar."
B2.4 "Can I throw a beer can at you while your playing Sam?" I asked placing the speculative thought of this possibility in his head.
"If its empty.. Yeah" he responded.
"Well that’s no fun!"
B2.5 I asked Rob Santel if his mom and dad were still coming. They weren’t... "Damn!" I said slamming my fist on the table nearly spilling top-heavy bottles of beer and half drunken pints. "I was going to ask them if they wanted to get high in a dirty Northside ally. Rob replied somewhat pleading and mercifully said "Please don’t get me in trouble" Jonathan Stout erupts into laughter.
B2.5.1 please let the record show that Rob and Jon were NOT wearing toboggans and I hardly noticed them.
C."Mardou"
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| Dylan from mardou by Jon Stout |
C2 Drum Eric is late. Bass Eric (cargo shorts hemmed), Guitar Un-Eric Aaron (denim cut off shorts) and the denim rebel himself, Dylan Mardou sporting cut-off shorts and jean jacket hiding a beautiful WIPERS shirt.
C3 Drum Eric, to saves time uses 'Dros (D+T) set of drums. Dro laboriously assembles the drums with wincing pain from an ailment that I feel uncomfortable in referencing on more than one level... JB (D+T- bass) is dispatched to help just as Drum Eric arrives and sound checks. Whew. Please let the record show that Dro is one tuff fucker-mother. Maybe the toughest. Clone him and create an army of ‘DRO-NES. Now (or soon)
C3.1 Dylan McCartney has smooth maybe hairless legs. Just sayin’
C4 Mardou play excellent. Inter-band communications are felt, not spoken and the set is tightened without tension. Good set. Bass Eric even sings a tune... One of their stronger songs too. I instantly had to remark to Granado A&R/Recording engineer Todd Uttley of the songs punch. He agreed so it wasn’t just me. However, two Mardou's were wearing denim cut offs (Dylan and Guitar Aaron) while both Bass Eric and Drum Eric wore khaki type cargo shorts... So the bands inner workings, at least dome, need to be worked on
C4.1 I find a vacant seat that some hipster wearing creeper shoes, a corduroy jacket and small John Lennon sunglasses left behind. He apparently thought his name was on the seat because he returned drinking a metropolitan mix drink, tapped me on the shoulder and said "Excuse me, I’m sitting there"... It was hard to hear him because of Mardou but I guess he got the message when I told him "Go fuck yourself" Moments later Brian McCabe throws a trash can at me in PARTIAL retaliation to what I did during a vomitious blackout drunk a few months earlier where I had apparently sabotaged much of Homemade Drugs’ set at MOTOR. Thinking this trashcan was sent from trendy guy in retaliation for me stealing his seat I swiftly retaliate with a powerful swing of Chinanski (my cane) but it was a friend, not foe, which I was up against. Brian laughed and promised that he still owed me from that MOTR incident and agreed that he was totally right. Like I said before. Sometimes you’re the guy watching the show; sometimes you’re that guy being the show.
C5 Mardou were good. Damn good. More backing vocals from Bass and Drum Eric's wouldn’t hurt. After one song Drum Eric used the backstage curtain to wipe his face off from sweat. Also, Dylan wore not only denim cut offs but a denim jean jacket on a night that was part of the hottest week Cincinnati experienced. Go fucking figure.
C6 I made a HUGE mistake in naming the zine Bad Day at The Plastic Mines... It should have been called Dirty Streets named after the Mardou dong of the same name. "Bounty Hunter" was the last song but really, the played version of “Dirty Streets” was amazing. Sung with conviction, and violent overtones painting a picture in my mind of a city in sonic rebellion. I have no idea what its about but I can honestly day, its a song for NOW.
C7 I hear Old City warming up and beginning their set as I settle into deep art discussions with Drum Eric (Lindsay) and Homemade Drugs' Chris Potoka who were both blowing my mind with good talk of Contemporary Alchemy, art plans, methods and ideas. Chris Potoka referenced SONARTA too... These men are dangerous and I agreed that some sort of project involving the three of us is imminently imperative... Art-Threat.
C7.1 Fucking pool tables. "Pardon me dude, I need to make this shot" Sheesh! Fuck your shot. Fuck your pool. Fuck your girlfriends bending down to line up a shot and showing semi-boobs. Well, that was cool but otherwise pool tables are a scourge to space replaced with anything else. Fuck, get a hookah going with some synthetic pot in it... That would be useful.
D "Old City"D1 I pardon myself from the artistically dangerous Eric L. and Chris P. Old City were calling and sounding quite good.
D2 Robyn Nomadical, artist and musician (Ex-Knife The Symphony) replaced Gabe "Lion Cub" Molnar as Old City bassist. It was her second show with the band, which appears to be a good fit. They sounded great making pretty much anything (but not everything) released before their Hot Horse EP, obsolete. Old City are veterans of the Cincinnati scene. I hope this line-up sticks around for a while.
D3 Glancing momentarily before erupting into "Simple Solution" Sam eyeballs the crowd for me... Was he anticipating a beer can? Just after announcing this as Old Citys last song which was the bar burner 'Simple Solution". Knowing how I feel about this song, and not having a beer can thrown at him yet; I let him think it was coming... I let him live in/with that anticipation. Is it now... now? ... Now? The attack that never came. I had no beer full or empty to throw. Besides, if I were going to throw one it would have been after "Romantic Comedy". But at least I tried This was the strongest, most awe capturing song they played in my opinion and really captures the passive aggressiveness nature that faces all artist or creatives in general. But at least I tried... Don’t forget, THREATS show how much you really care, deep down, about anything. Threats=love. Trying and failing is ok... Actually, you may learn from a mistake more than any success. But at least I tried... Have you did or done everything in your power to try? You can’t try and succeed every time. There is honor and glory in the phrase But at least I tried.
D3.1 I, not you, faithful, desperate reader of THWART what exactly the lamp that Old City lug around but yes, it does seem OCD and somehow magical at the same time. I thought Shit; this lamp has always sat there on the stage because I don’t recall ever seeing it... At sets end, it was unplugged and taken... There was some terrorist chatter later on an fb post talking about the lamp but really. I don’t wanna know about the lamp. I’m gonna let it be a strange mystery to me.
D3.2 The straw in a drink of any sorts symbolizes struggle. Please note.
E "Dinosaurs and Thunder"
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| from D+T's fb page. |
E2 The plan is for D+T to play a half hour set, take a break, and then play another half hour. They erupt fiercely. It’s not everyday that you see a band on its death ground. Sun Tzu would be proud... Yeah, JB and Jonathan Stout committed to keeping the band going and working with new members, but every song had certain fervor about it. I’m sad to see this version of D+T go, but Rob and Dro will continue on in their journeys and it will be interesting to see how the family tree of D+T will develop.
E2.1 "The meteor is just about to hit" sex Rob Santel... But the thing is every living thing you see is 10% of what survived after the meteor that killed all the dinosaurs... So there will be survivors.
E3 Heckles from the crowd. Nice. Jonathan Stout’s amp nearly falls due to him not having very long chords... The harder you fight, the harder 'it' fights back. The quickening of 'its' assault is a sign of desperation. Jonathan Stout is warrior. No not a warrior... Just WARRIOR.
E4.1 I place myself at stage right getting a cut of Jonathan Stouts guitar more than anything else. Jonathan is into the set. Active. Moving. Inspired. He sings loud showing his teeth of which had been partially filed to appear more dinosaur like. The wonders of contemporary digital technology. What a marvel!
E4 Let the record show that the last time I seen D+T at 1207 back before that place turned to hell, It was two days after seeing D+T when the hearing in my right ear went away. Since then, I have regained some of the hearing, not all... But some. Enough to tease D+T about challenging them to take on my left ear. So far, so good.
E5 Jonathan Stout wearing a shirt with kittens. 'Nuff said. WARRIOR (ref. 'E3')
E6 Good crowd. Friendly faces after all after I get away from the stage lighting. After their break I felt a good bowel movement working up... That Comet Burrito was working its magic. After seeing D+T retake the stage with Jon on drums, Rob still singing and JB being where he was... Dro grabbed a guitar... Apparently, Dro is some sort of fucking musical genius that swears he cant play anything but plays better whatever than I or any other complete fuck-up ever could. Dro is talent the epitome of talent... And he may be the toughest motherfuckers I have ever met (currently third being Juice by Jerry and Kimbo Slice who I ran into at a UDF on Hamilton Avenue at the intersection of Kemper and Hamilton Ave.) After a few instrumental ditties everyone gets to where they are supposed to be (fucking hippie law breakers) and play a song that hit me like being pummeled by a brick... The song was angular, and a bit different than other D+T songs. Honestly, one of the best D+T songs I think... I ask what its called and they say "HoBo" so look for that one in the future on some posthumous release... It’s a great song.
F After a brief goodbye and re-thanks to Jason Snell John and I are out of there heading back north or he elative safety of Fairfield Proper where our malls are empty and Sunday is trash day. God invented Sundays for hangovers of which there are not only pills AND action figures but now commemorative drinking glasses.
G. “Meanwhile, one week later…”
G1 Dinosaurs and Thunder, as it was decided a week later by Jonathan Stout WILL in-fact ‘break-up’ saying that when opportunities arrive and members return home from time to time, special events will be set up… But Jonathan Stout went on to say that he is now forming an all-new band.
*thanks to Jude Rude and Half-Gifts Zine