1/28/06 The Earl - Atlanta, GA

HFags, 
Hot Young Priest, 
Brodie Stove

Now I ask you all, and myself, to be honest when you answer this surprisingly tough question of priorities: What is more important, 1) a show with your band or 2) a two week trip to Disney World with your parents? This is the question that WeeTay, our beloved cellist, faced. Two weeks ago I was reminding everyone about our show at The Earl and Will was like, "Don't you remember I told you that I'd be in disneyworld on that date?" And I said NO, because while I may have a very staggered and often selective, long term memory, and an almost non-existent short term memory, I felt like this time Will was the one who dropped the doodoo brown ball of communication. And he said, "Well I told you that I would be going on vacation with my parents sometime around the end of January... I guess I just never told you when." Um, yeah. So, last night we played the Earl as a quartet. The house was packed. We were opening for what was supposed to be Hot Young Priest's CD release, but something happened where someone got mysteriously delayed in Mexico and the album was not ready, so instead it was just a regular show. Brodie Stove opened. Damn good tunes and a fine banjo-ist who generously ran our merch booth while we were on stage. Also it turns out that the banjo-ist lives right near Athens and I thought to myself, what would it be like if when Will couldn't make a show, a banjo took over his parts? Does that seem like an overly bluegrass plan? I really like banjo. The sound I mean. It is dry and hollow like a dead tree. Doesn't anybody have one to give me? Seems like someone should... Also I would appreciate that sitar I am always dreaming about. So, where was I. Oh yeah, so we played in the middle. No sound check, but the new soundman, Mega, is frickin thorough. He even walks around with a sheet of paper and takes notes and is kind and smiles a lot. He gave us a kick ass line check (which I didn't even know one of those could be kick-ass) and we started with Deb's song "Threads". It was a special request. That one is mos def gonna be on the new album. The show plodded along with us nailing most of the songs and stuttering idiotic slow-moving stage banter. An art at which I am unequivocally non-adept. We finished with Laying Down The Gun. Right before that we played one of Deb's new songs that is just Page singing lead, Deb on guitar, me on sparse handclaps and foot stomping and jamie on kit. I love it. Deb is playing the entire time, but there still seems like lots of space. Although she switched to acoustic for that one and I think it needed more treble and less mud because I couldn't make out all the movements that I knew were supposed to be there. I liked the show. I'll say it. I ain't afeared. Thanks to Jason Hatcher for helping us carry our gear off stage. Speaking of, Hatch has laid aside his hardcore ways and turned a new fuzzy velvety rabbit ear which you should listen to here: http://www.myspace.com/jasonhatcher I recommend the track titled "Good Boy". So, okay, Hot Young Priest carried the crowd away into rockdom and they'd better hurry up and finish the new album because I can see their fans foaming at mouth and sharpening their claws. Bust out.