Holy Crud Booking THE LATEST is Hard

I've got email out to like five different parties including a band from Akron, Ohio and I haven't heard back from anyone and it's been like five days.  I haven't even heard from the Akronites.  What are they up to?

 

Hello?  Anybody out there? 

 

I guess I'll send cd's and press kits into the void anyway.  Maybe it would help if THE LATEST had a video.

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Poppa Neutrino gives us a shout

A week back I put up a new track du jour and let the Floating Neutrinos know the song was in the Poppa's honor. Yesterday we got word from the Neutrino Patriarch (as well as Capt'n Betsy, his wife).

From Poppa Neutrino:

what an honor. thank you so much. I am unable at this time to
access the song as i am living in a twelve foot dory in provincetown, mass
waiting untill the heat goes down in baja california and i can return to my
raft, the Island Rooster. and continue my journey across the pacific. It will
probably be the middle of october when i return. once agian, thank you so much,
Poppa Neutrino

We wished him good luck and offered to send him the song on disk but we haven't heard back as to which 12' dory he is on. I think I might simply address it to Poppa Neutrino 12' Dory Provincetown, MA.

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Who saw the Minutemen?

I thought they were showing the Minutemen documentary twice during the Chicago Underground Film Festival but it looks like Saturday night was it.  Shoot I missed it now I'll have to wait for it to show up on Netflix.

 

The "Whole World's Watching" shows tonight. WWW contains a lot of footage and interviews from the Repulican National Convention in New York.  It's the work of a couple of Northwestern students who may or may not be influenced by one former member of the Weathermen/Political Party Convention Protestor, now a Northwestern faculty member.

 

Um, not related but I just noticed that no version of communism or socialism is in the thesaurus, although Roget made room for democratic and capitalist.

 

Oh and speaking the other day of shenanigans sure to make you famous.

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Bow Your Head for a Big Boy

Randy "Biscuit" Turner, ground breaking early Texas Punk Rocker turned Artist, passed suddenly yesterday on the eve of an Art Opening in his honor which will now serve as a Wake.

 

Biscuit is (too hard to say "was") a great DIY influence and encourager and he will be missed.  READ-> Greg Beet's obit.

 

Now, as Biscuit and the Big Boys would tell you, go start your own band.

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New Track du Jour

Check out the new track du jour on Disclexington.  It's the debut piece from Brillo, although he has previously recorded an interpretation of THE LATEST's self-titled debut.

 

It's inspired by a rafting story that ran in the New Yorker several weeks back -recommended reading and if the movie ever comes out, recommended viewing.

 

track du jour is streaming mp3 audio in a Flash player accompanied by a little Flash video.  The current tdj and past tdj's are linked from Disclexington in downloadable mp3 format.  Right now we're using Yahoo! Briefcase to store the audio history but we're looking for a more reliable home.

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Cococoma

How many nights this week can a member of THE LATEST perform? Sunday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night...Keith? You playing this week?

Cococoma is Bill and Lisa Roe but you can stop the comparisons to the White Stripes right there pal. They're more like the Flat Duo Jets (I think). And they rock. And they make T-shirts. And, as a couple they are infatuated with keeping the beat for Mike Fitzpatrick. Tonight at Cal's - they're second...or maybe third.

Also tonight - the release of Galactic Zoo Dossier #6 at the Empty Bottle. Here's an excerpt from "the Of Mirror Eye" Review...

The magazine combines the twin loves of Platic Crimewave, Psychedelic music and Psychedelic music. The magazine is beautiful, with about 90% of the magazine both hand illustrated and hand written. This is certainly a labor intensive effort, but also most certainly results in one of the most distinctive looking magazines out there.

Sounds pretty good and the zine comes with 2 CD's. You can check out some of the tunes here.

Tonight check out Norah's Rock Show - Bottom Lounge

Norah Utley's having a good year by my reckoning: Got some great records out on her label; got herself hitched to one of Chicago's most eligible bachelors; profiled in the Reader back in April; she's in one of the best bands on SSR, and her show tonight got a pick in the Reader and UR Chicago.

If you've only seen Mike play bass with THE LATEST (well he does play a couple of tunes on guitar), then you gotta see him on the six string and singing like D. Boone reincarnated with Headache City tonight.

From Norah (tonight's schedule at Bottom Lounge):

The BUSY SIGNALS (Oh baby!)

HEADACHE CITY (first show in Chicago in FOUR MONTHS!)

The MARKED MEN (From Texas, best band ever! This is their Shit Sandwich 7" release show, don't expect to get a 7" at it though, as they are still at the stinkin' pressing plant!)

MOTO (Whaddaya know!)

Well that was fun...

We had a surprise opener last night, Lil Isaac and the Dirty Stank, which made it a very well rounded show indeed.  How's this for a line up: Chicago Blues played by a "House of Blues" bartender and a punk rock/bike messenger bar owner; Austin skah-prog-klezmer-zappa-rock played by Texans in orange jumpsuits; Twangiabilly rock-n-roll played by Aussie hillbillies; and finally the loudest THE LATEST show ever to ensure that everybody's ears would be ringing into September.

 

This show was well attended and a lot of fun.  Thanks to everybody who made it out on a Sunday night, a life-sized statue is being made in your honor.  Um, except the boat-dwelling Irish dude in the Steve Irwin outfit.  You could have stayed on your boat.  And Cameron was a bad dog too, but that's okay - as he lamented on Gator's big shoulders around 3 AM "what is a boy to do!?!"

 

Alright, three hips for Cococoma Bill on drums for THE LATEST.  His first show was a big success.  A bass drum the size of an above-ground swimming pool is just what the latest needed to support their guitar troika madness.

 

 

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Holy Smokes! Red Hot Poker Dots rocks...

True to Roberto Cofresi's promise, RHPD put on an excellent show last night at Martyr's.  Roberto said they're better than ever and it's true, the show was even better than last year and the new Flying V Guitar/Dobro player s-m-o-k-e-s.  You must come out and see them at Cal's this Sunday 9 PM with the Invincible Czars from Austin, TX and of course...THE LATEST with Cococoma Bill on drums.

 

Be sure to tune in to 88.5 tonight at 9 PM, THE LATEST live woohoo.

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Tonight - > Red Hot Poker Dots. THE LATEST booking hits a snag.

Come out tonight to Martyr's and get there early for the Red Hot Poker Dots - 6 bucks chEAp. You won't regret it. Read why this something-billy band is the hardest working band in Australia.

Okay so THE LATEST's November "Go East Young Man->" Tour hit its first snag. We want to play Hank's Saloon. We've heard it's a great place to play and some of the regulars and workers there have hung out with us in Chicago. So we got in touch (and on their behalf I have to say they were very responsive and friendly) but they said they have an "All-Americana Format" now and while they liked our music it didn't fit their new thing.

I'm sorry but I don't get "All-Americana Format" or at least how THE LATEST doesn't qualify as such. A lot of what I hear as "americana" sounds like drippy old Irish folk ballads or something. What gives? Btw, is Stevie Wonder americana?

Anyone have suggestions for places to play/contacts going East, particularly Brooklyn? Hank's suggested a place called Magnetic Fields.

Red Hot Poker Dots at Martyrs' Thursday. THE LATEST, RHPD and the Invincible Czars Sunday at Cal's.

A year ago, our good friends in Chapel Hill, NC Roberto Cofresi and Diane Koistenin turned us on to Red Hot Poker Dots of Melbourne, Australia. Roberto was helping RHPD book a US tour so we got them a gig at Cal's. These guys and a gal had been touring the Southern States for almost two months already. They started out with an old American car they bought for a few hundred bucks. They strapped the upright bass on top. But that broke down so they rented a van. When they left Chicago, they still had another month of touring ahead of them. It was a great show and we had a splendid time hanging out with the Aussies that night and at the next day's BBQ at Kilian and Tricia's place. The show was recorded and one of the songs became Disclexigton's first track du jour.

Well RHPD is back. And we're doing them one better this time around. RHPD is opening (so get there early 9 PM) for the Helicopters and Kristin Shout at Martyr's, this Thursday, August 11th. Only $6 bucks. Nice write up in the Reader. Go! This will be a great show.

Then definitely come out Sunday, August 14th to Cal's and catch RHPD again with the Invincible Czars from Austin, TX opening and our own THE LATEST headlining. This will also be an early show - 9 PM.

Oh and catch THE LATEST live on the radio this Friday at 9 PM on WHPK's Pure Hype!

the Carnys this Saturday August 6th at the Empty Bottle

Our Bob Taylor brings his home-away-from-home band of Carnys up from San Marcos, TX this Saturday, August 6th, to the Empty Bottle. HEAR Bob's one of a kind voice-on-a-spit in its most natural setting: fronting the hurdy gurdy sounds of Grady Roper on carnival organ and Wade Driver (of Hickoids fame) on drums. Grady and Wade also make up Attic Ted a masked lonesome bastard son of the Carnys. Attic Ted is touring to promote their newest release.

You don't get many chances in this life to hear the Carnys so come on down.

In the meantime relax and enjoy some comedy.

Oh and you can check out a song THE LATEST recorded with Grady Roper at his home with Grady playing clarinet and Mike on the circus organ.