So, I needed a “12 – sided die” type example, and this is what I came up with.
They’re taking it right now. Incredibly enough, they seem to be enjoying themselves, in spite of the fact that it’s 1:30 PM on the last day of finals week, it’s snowing outside, and…well, they’re taking a math exam.
While sorting out the shop last weekend, I happened upon my trusty Camelbak M.U.L.E., adorned with two of my old patches. The top one provided me with a few minutes of nostalgic entertainment while recalled when I picked it up:
Setting: a show in NJ in late ’94/early ’95. Plow is opening for Shades Apart, the Bouncing Souls, and a band with an aMAzing drummer who sounds like a cross between Dave Grohl and Stewart Copland. Plow has just finished their set, Sean is manning the Plow merch table, and he leans over to the Souls’ merch girl.
Sean (shouting over SA’s set): “Hi! How much for a patch?”
Merch Girl: “They’re free!”
Sean: “Three?”
Merch Girl: “Free!”
Sean (thinking it’s strange that a patch costs as much as a 7“): “Oh! OK!”
(Sean reaches for his wallet, can’t find it right away, then locates it. He fishes $3 out of it, then taps the girl on the shoulder)
Sean: “Here you go!”
Merch Girl: “What’s this for?”
Sean: “The patch!”
Merch Girl: “They’re free!”
Sean: “Right! Here you go!”
After about 45 more seconds or so, Sean understands what the hell she’s saying, and sheepishly accepts the FREE patch, which he proudly wears to this day when trail riding. For the rest of that night, however, he thought, for sure, that the Bouncing Souls’ merch girl though he was the biggest idiot in Central Jersey, and it would somehow ruin any shot of us ever sharing a stage with them again.
* * * * *
Why do I remember this stuff? Who knows (I also remember that was the night we ended “You Are Here” with “Pour Some Sugar On Me”).
The A-side of Plow United’s new 7″!
Pre-order yours today from the Plow United Web Store!
So, I’ve been holding off on posting to WP (“What should go here vs. FB vs. Twitter”, “blah”, “blah”) until I found a certain CD or two given to me a year or so ago by the wonderful Tony Pradlik. While attempting to clean out the FK studio/office space:
I found them. Contained within are some great memories of the times Plow (pre – and post – “United”) played Rockin’ Rex’s in Yonkers. So many great shows crammed in between stacks of records and great friends, always with the ubiquitous TV behind us, displaying some random something.
Here, we met lifelong friends (some of whom would be immortalized in Plow song titles…3 of them now!), and played with countless amazing bands. One was Stressboy: Martin, Jon, and Mike demonstrated that Plow wasn’t the only trio out there playing at warp speed.
Well, one night in 1995 (apparently), Jon (SB’s drummer) was out of town, so I sat in. I have no recollection of this, but Tony sent me 12 songs proving that I was there, playing with one of my favorite bands of ALL time:
“26 Cents“
“Wuss“
“Smoke“
Still, to this day, I am reminded of these songs (and other SB tunes). Whenever the clock reads “11-11″, for example, I hear Jon’s awesome double stop drumbeat in my head. Stressboy, and the whole West Chester, NY punk community, welcomed Plow with open arms, and we still love them, so many years later. Maybe that’s why I still have a railroad spike from Tarrytown’s Punk House:
(or, maybe it’s because I’m a pack rat)
We missed Jon at Fest, although we did hear him from outside the short – lived Dwarves show. Hope to hug all three of them again one day.
Here are better versions of two of the songs above. Anyone know where I can get their demo tape (or, more likely, digital versions of the songs)? I lost mine years ago.
Thanks, Tony!
Some of you (drummers, especially) may remember the sadness I felt when I broke my beloved 22″ Zildjian A ride. It was a part of my drumming, as much as my Tommy Lee ripoff fills and my “wind up and hit it like you mean it” attack. She was with me from day one, back in 1989, and, up until her untimely death late last year, I thought she’d be the only cymbal I could never break.
I was in Eugene with Necktie Killer when she broke, so I went to a local shop and picked up a used 20″ Sabian something – or – other. It’s fine. But just that…fine. It’s got a tiny bell that just doesn’t have that 80′s attack that the oversized bell on the Zildjian had. It rides fairly, and washes OK…but it was lacking something.
Well, I think we may have found a wonderful replacement for the Zildjian. Much like the Sabian was Brad Gillis, this new piece of art is Zakk Wylde. I am the proud owner of a used 20″ Paiste RUDE Power Ride. Yep, that’s right…this thing weighs a ton, is thick as a dinnerplate, and has a bell the size of a small hihat. The ping is unreal.
It’s gonna be obnoxious, folks. I can not WAIT to try this (from the line of cymbals that “were inspired by the revolution of punk and metal during the late 1970s“) out next week. Ever since I saw Stewart with these things, I’ve wanted one. Justin of Flatfoot 56 let me use his in February, and it reawakened the desire.
Who’s gonna be there at the FUC show to hear this beast?
…than the shed?
Yep…Max goes to bed around 8:30, and I gotta crank the Fender to get a good sound in GarageBand, so…out to the shed I went on this beautiful spring night to demo a new one for the lads back east.
Out there amongst the vegetable starts, garden tools, and, chickens, I demo-ed what (hopefully) will be the germ of another Plow tune you’ll hear on the new LP (I also had the amp cranked so high that I scared an egg out of poor Marge, our Americauna…pretty gross. Sorry, girl).
Feels good to post to WP again!
