It's funny because it's true! If you want to get some great natural reverb, there's your place.

LOL, Dave! I love that image of the urinal.

DammitDave said:

At one venue, I played in a go go dancer cage (there was one on either side of the stage). I would rather it had been occupied by an attractive young lady but...

The Mutiny in Chicago has the world's largest urinal (20 degrees colder inside). It's big enough for two people (assuming you have very low personal space).




That's not a glass of beer, its a pitcher! If it's good enough for Andre the Giant, it's good enough for me.

At one venue, I played in a go go dancer cage (there was one on either side of the stage). I would rather it had been occupied by an attractive young lady but... The Mutiny in Chicago has the world's largest urinal (20 degrees colder inside). It's big enough for two people (assuming you have very low personal space). That's not a glass of beer, its a pitcher! If it's good enough for Andre the Giant, it's good enough for me.

A patio outside the venue is really nice....you can cool off after seeing a really hot band and give your ears a break from the inside noise levels. It's also a great place for the smokers to hang out, weather permitting.

Another thing i really like in a venue is friendly staff....nothing turns me off faster than a dick for a doorman or beer slinger...it's also conducive to fights at the end of the night.

A sign of some sort at the entrance to say who is playing, approx times, and how much to get in. It's little things like these that help bring in the people who aren't really sure if they want to come in...and nowadays you gotta get as many people as possible in the doors.

Free parking nearby is always nice, or at least some kind of nearby parking for the out of towners coming to your place.

A dancefloor, or just an area to stand in front of the stage....not tables right up to the stage. You want people to come in and jump around and have fun if you're having live bands. And spaeking of a stage, yes, not just the band on the floor. Any kind of a stage that makes the band visible over the people standing at the front's heads....even just a foot or 2 high. And speaking of the dancefloor....NOT carpet, one place i go to has fucking sticky carpet on the floor that is impossible to dance on...

A good sound systems is essential with a sound booth way at the back of the venue facing the stage...plus a good soundman...it may just be garage punk, but you still need that person that knows what they're doing to make it sound great.

Bar at the back of the venue, or preferably not beside the stage...

Best of luck with your venue....

BTW, you'll have to click the "photos" link at the top of the page. For some reason, that link won't take you straight to that page.

MikeL said:

Here's a link to the photo page of one of my favorite local venues, the 31st Street Pub here in Pittsburgh, PA...

http://www.31stpub.com/home.html

For me, it's about memories. I got my first taste of garage rock at this place, i.e. Cynics, Swingin' Neckbreakers, Fleshtones. I also discovered Manda and the Marbles and the Paybacks at this place, and I also saw the Dictators for the first time at the Pub. My all time favorite local band, the Science Fiction Idols, played frequently at the Pub, along with the Ultimatics and the Cheats. The Takeover UK, another all time favorite band of mine, played there a few times (They were more into the Brillobox scene), but they were still enjoyable at the Pub.

As for the layout and atmosphere, it looks and feels somewhat like a homegrown version of CBGBs, minus the history and prestige. The stage is way in the back, the bar is along the right side, and the place has a very weather beaten look to it. It's also in a rather isolated area, which I kind of like because that gives it an enclave feel.

I hope this helps you out. This is probably one of the most interesting questions ever asked at this place.

Here's a link to the photo page of one of my favorite local venues, the 31st Street Pub here in Pittsburgh, PA... http://www.31stpub.com/home.html For me, it's about memories. I got my first taste of garage rock at this place, i.e. Cynics, Swingin' Neckbreakers, Fleshtones. I also discovered Manda and the Marbles and the Paybacks at this place, and I also saw the Dictators for the first time at the Pub. My all time favorite local band, the Science Fiction Idols, played frequently at the Pub, along with the Ultimatics and the Cheats. The Takeover UK, another all time favorite band of mine, played there a few times (They were more into the Brillobox scene), but they were still enjoyable at the Pub. As for the layout and atmosphere, it looks and feels somewhat like a homegrown version of CBGBs, minus the history and prestige. The stage is way in the back, the bar is along the right side, and the place has a very weather beaten look to it. It's also in a rather isolated area, which I kind of like because that gives it an enclave feel. I hope this helps you out. This is probably one of the most interesting questions ever asked at this place.

Windows & mirrors are the worst thing you can put into a club for acoustics. It makes for high end distortion.

I'm helping a friend design a local live music club. I'm interested in your input, what is one or two things about your favorite club that makes it special to you. Please don't just say "the music", I'm looking for ideas. Maybe it's the one foot stage or the way the bar is set up. Maybe you like the fact that there are no windows, or do you enjoy seeing people walk by. If your favorite club has a website, please put the name in your post so I can look it up. Is the name really important to you? list some ideas like "Garage Mahal", anything helps. Just pretend you have the money to build it from the ground up, but capacity will be about 200 people. Thanks in advance for your help.

It's opening today here in Pittsburgh at the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill.  I'm going to see it tonight.

Intro to T.V. Eye popped into my head first as well, that's wild. Then I scrolled down before I hit "add reply" and saw that this was a common answer. I Got A Right(intro) too.
Dead Boys-Caught with the Meat in your Mouth.

M Jackson in 'Who's Bad' . Nah, another vote for Sonics. How do you do that shit without poping a vein?

I enjoy the gospel screams of Bunker Hill the most. I also like Wayne Cochran. One of my favorite garage rock songs is "Scream" by Ralph Nielson and the Chancellors. I'm not sure who's screaming on the song but man,what a blood curdling scream.

Joan Jett's scream at the beginning of the Runaways "Blackmail" is pretty darned good. Another lady with great pipes for screaming is Kyra LaRubia from Thee Headcoatees, A Lines, etc. Armitage Shanks backed her on a couple of singles one being Siouxsie and the banshees "Love In A Void." Like a dental drill through your brain.

Unless you live in Iowa or are a Chicago blues enthusiast, chances are the name James Kinds will be an unfamiliar one. Since being proclaimed "the best new voice in Chicago" by Living Blues over three decades ago, Kinds career has suffered a series of misfortunes that have kept him out of the spotlight, although he has apparently made quite a name for himself in his adopted home of Iowa. As such Love You From the Top, his new album on Delmark Blues, is the first nationally distributed release in a career going back to 1962.

Love You From the Top wonderfully skirts the borders of blues, R&B, and rock without ever really stopping in any of those territories for more than a song or two. Its the sort of album you must listen to several times to really get the gist of it and it will continue to grow on you with each listen. The musicianship is excellent throughout with Anthony Dotson and Claude L. Thomas holding down the rhythm section and sax legend Eddie Shaw appearing on four tracks. Even Kinds himself plays a mean rhythm guitar, but the main attraction of the album is undoubtedly his voice.

Kinds possesses the sort of emotive voice that manages to sound forlorn and dejected on even the most upbeat of material and one gets the feeling that he has listened to his share of Wilson Pickett and Junior Wells records in his time. Yet his voice also contains rugged quality in the delivery of the smooth vocals and the experience and passion that can't be found simply by emulating your heroes.

The songs themselves range from pure blues such as the resolute "Crack Headed Woman" and "Katie" to pure Southern soul tunes like "Take a Look at Yourself" and the despondent ballad "Johnny Mae" that gives one reason to believe that had Kinds tried his luck in Memphis rather than Chicago he may be a legitimate superstar today. There are also several songs here, most notably the vicious "I Got a Woman" and "Peggy Sue" that can only be classified as rock (and, in case you are wondering, they are not Ray Charles and Buddy Holly covers).

Still, Kinds songwriting is at its best when he is discussing his own life and there are at least two numbers hear that are undoubtedly about his own experiences. The first, "Mason Dixon Line Blues" is a nearly-seven minute slow blues detailing his journey from Mississippi to Chicago and how he learned to play the blues. The second is the Jimmy Reed-inspired "Body Slam," which in decades past would have been a hit.

This album and Kinds himself is best summed up by the track "I Didn't Go Home." After some nice guitar riffing, Kinds' plaintive voice begins telling of how after a night of drinking he accidentally drove his "other woman's" car home. On the surface, the situation seems funny, but once you've heard his delivery you can't help but believe it and even feel sorry for him.

In my opinion, Delmark's brilliant rediscovery of Mr. Kinds is some of the best news to hit the blues and R&B world in quite some time and I hope that they will also consider re-releasing his other albums, which were previously available only to Iowans. Kinds' distinctive blend of Chicago blues, Southern soul, and a dash of early rock melds together perfectly to create the recipe for the best electric blues album of the year and, hopefully, the success he has long been denied.

Interesting interview but no one mentions them playing "Do The Ringo" on the Munsters show!

Here's a little "Gotta Move" for you... click on the link! http://www.youtube.com/lwilkers#p/a/u/1/qZqVJKc_8oM

ratoonie said:

Victoria!!!!!;;;;; Waterlou Sunset!.... so tired.... presurvasion acts....sheeeeeesh ...too many!!!!

I'd feel bad if I didn't come back here and mention "I Gotta Move".

So many great songs to choose from: "House in the Country", "Shangri-La", "'Til the End of the Day", "Waterloo Sunset", "Celluloid Heroes"...
I think my favorite might be the Dave Davies song, "Lincoln County".

First track I played on the first episode of Way Past Cool [March 17th 2009]! Badda-Bing!

I think many of the bands I/we love have a similar sound to their songs. It's a vibe. Link Wray, The Cramps, etc. When it's that fucking cool why complain?

After seeing them live and being blown away, that only made me like them more. I don't like to critique a band too much when they've only made 2 albums though...

After listening to them a few more times since my last post, I do have to say there's definitely a serious similarity shared by all of their songs. Not that this is a bad thing -- the music rocks hard and it's really fun -- but it's a little repetitive. Nonetheless, I think the best way to describe their sound is what you'd expect to hear if Little Richard began his recording career after the invention of punk rock. Can't complain about that!

Alex said:

I've heard them popping up on a bunch of podcasts lately. The singer's voice is absolutely fearsome. "Elemental" is a pounder.

Close to 4 years after suffering a tragic fire, ? is finally getting his house built - He is desperately trying to raise $$ to get  the present phase of the construction stabilized before the harsh Michigan winter sets in. He has some items that he is selling - please watch the video and pass it on to others in cyberspace - maybe you could buy a t-shirt or bandana??? Don't forget to post pix of you with your ? merch here on the fanpage!!

VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAmh5DX1VPU



More info on donations and the sale at:

http://www.96tears.net/Firesale

PLEASE PASS THIS VIDEO ON TO OTHERS!

Saw BDOD in minneapolis when they played with Lover! But really my money is on Unwed Teenage Mothers! You should tour with the Mothers and come back to the midwest!

I'm pissed I miss it, I will be at the next one though. It's cool your gonna play the Yucca again, I don't think the extension was open last November, it's now twice the size. I'll bring a good group of people out for the show. john barrett said:

yeah hopefully heading back out west sometime after the record comes out. i played yucca last nov when i came through with lover!, we played with becky (ryan's girlfriend) and had a pretty awesome time. definitely wanna hit it up again.

I know nothing about this other than this very brief press statement I was sent. I would assume that more information will be forthcoming when and if Ms. Franklin and her people wish for it to be released. Until then, let's all just keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

(Statement follows)

Detroit- Legendary Queen of Soul, Ms. Aretha Franklin was released from Sinai Grace Hospital on Saturday, October 30th following a brief stay. The Grammy Award-winning songstress was admitted to the hospital at the recommendation of her doctors.

Franklin is resting comfortably at home, but is anxious to get back on the road to perform for her countless fans around the world. Ms. Franklin added, “I would like to thank my friends, fans and supporters for all the beautiful flowers and their many well wishes.”