September 11th

this is the one we've been waiting for--the kids biking all the way from LA to arrive in Lexvegas on this our day of national mourning--obviously with so many bands canceling--the road is a fickle mistress--we were a little worried these guys would make it, so when they pulled up on their very loaded down mountain bikes and trailer at about 2 in the afternoon, we breathed a sigh of relief--in fact Funderstorm pulled in just ahead of the thunderstorm--so it seems all cosmic and shit--but first the Comfort Creatures--wait i do want to mention, hanging out on the perch with Funderstorm, not only talking bikes and the road (plus being a cyclist in LA, critical mass, alley cats, bike snobs etc) we got in our mandatory Sept. 11th conspiracy theory theorizing, an integral part of the, uh, holiday is the wrong word--but you don't forget and we won't forget either--but Comfort Creatures--these guys were on fire, when they played at the music festival this summer they were a really good folksy, old timey melodies band--but that didn't prepare me for the rock and roll vibe they brought to the shack tonight--still pretty, but now with soaring guitar solos, trance inducing tidal surges of rock--time enough to shoe gaze, i have to step outside it is so intense--and that portishead cover, wow, it's all over too soon--though the set does have this timeless, like it could last forever feel--admittedly the Straight A's have a hard place in the line up, between the Creature's who everybody loves and Funderstorm that everybody is intrigued by--but they perform admirably--straight and hard punk, a little hesitant at first but quickly finding their feet as they play through the set, eventually opening up and finding a tight groove to settle into--then it's time for the storm--not so much a band really as a performance art interactive group experience--mark-coast on the beat machine thing, cranking the crunky beats while B-rad is on the mike--and of course they play up the bicycle thing--the beat machine starts and B-rad shouts "are you ready for the first song, we have biked over 3,500 miles to play you this song are you ready"--then he grabs all these inflatable toys, starts throwing them around the room , throwing his tarp over people's heads--eventually he's writhing around on the floor (i guess he was trying to do the worm, kinda hard to tell)--they call their genre bike hike funk punk chant rant electronic hardcore dance music--and they lead us in these, let's call them bicycle chanties--BAMBI your mom was shot by a hunter, BAMBI your best friend is thumper, you got white spots on your butt, your tail is always up, so what--you get the idea, kind of stupid, but these guys, through their sheer enthusiasm and heart pull it off--at one point they have everyone put their hands together in a huddle like your soccer team may have done to yell go team or whatever, but we make a heartbeat--up and down up and down--and we chant slowly--at heart beat tempo--everyone has got to stop doing cocaine--and who could forget their self proclaimed break out single--monster truck--they did bike all the way from LA--i can almost hear them now in my mind's ear riding through all those huge hurricane winds and rain yesterday somewhere in ohio--Bambi, your mom was shot by a hunter--one less touring van--may the foos be with you brothers