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[ruixzine]

Week 40 (or maybe it’s 41)

As I mentioned last week, I was in San Francisco for the Neurosis 30th Anniversary shows, so I didn’t do too much in the way of blogging. I’ll start with that trip. 

We went to San Francisco for a couple of reasons. And both of them were Neurosis. But my girl and I actually decided to do this trip back in December as a Christmas present to each other. Because FUCK is it expensive to hang there. Anyway, we ate a ton of killer food, did some light touristy shit (Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz [the prison, not the band] and the Full House house) and got to see one of my favorite bands twice in one weekend. All in all, we had a blast and we got to hang with two of my favorite people, Jeremy and Alayne. And did I fucking mention the shows? 

The first night’s show was kicked off by Mike Scheidt’s new-(ish) band Vhöl. We got there during their last song and that sucks because I’m a huge fan of YOB and got to know Mike a little bit during the handful of times YOB played Dubuque. So it would have been cool to catch up with him and see the set. But the bit we did hear from the lobby (in addition to the shit I checked out later after the show) absolutely ruled. Sleep was next. This was my first time seeing Sleep and I was super excited about it. I was waiting in line for beer when they started, but I could see okay, all things considered. Within minutes, the whole room smelled like the Kottonmouth Kings fucked Phish. As a non-weed smoker, it was a little jarring. But I adjusted and Sleep put on an amazing show. Neurosis rounded out the night with about a two hour set. Mostly mid-period shit (Times of Grace, Through Silver in Blood), some new/some old and a few things I didn’t recognize. The second night, I noticed they played a few of their early hardcore tunes. Sounded amazing. I hadn’t heard some of those songs in years, so it was nice to see them live. We missed the opening band Alaric (who I have yet to check out) completely and got there just in time for Shellac’s set. I haven’t seen Shellac since the Touch & Go 25th Anniversary fest in 2006, so it was rad to see them again. And Neurosis somehow played LONGER than the night before.. I feel like it was maybe six hours or something, but it was probably more like three-three and a half. But both nights were amazing. I would have loved to stick around maybe one more day, hang with a few more people, go to Aquarius Records and go to the third night of Neurosis.. but what can you do?

As for here in the Midwest, I’ve been on Spring Break from school this whole week so I’ve been doing a bit of drinking, a bit of underwear Netflixing and a bit of sleeping in. But it hasn’t been all sloth. The weather has been considerably warm for early March so I’ve been making it a point to get outside when I can. I discovered a new hiking area here in town that I never knew existed, so I went on a good two hour hike the other day with my pal Drew. "Hike” in this instance means walking around near the river crushing beers, but still... it counts as exercise. I also went and saw this band from Chicago called Mama last night here in town. They played here a few months ago and I caught them quite by accident and I was hooked. I bought both of their 7″s and bullshitted (bullshat?) with the band for quite a while. Really cool fellas. It’s a real testament to how awesome a band is when they can get me to come see them at a St. Patrick’s Day party, but they truly are one of the best bands I’ve seen/heard in a long time. I urge you to check out their bandcamp page here, but just know that it’s nothing compared to seeing them live.

The Project I Music Series mentoring program is entering the halfway-point next week. So far, so good. I’ve been sitting in with a few of the kids, drumming on one of the kids’ originals and a couple Guns N’ Roses tunes (their idea, I swear). It’s been super fun and really rewarding, I’m glad to say. Stay tuned for more updates about that. Hopefully, some great ensembles and songs will be born out of this by the end of it.

I also wanted to plug the Spring Readings Under the Influence because it’s right around the corner. April 2, to be exact. The theme for this installment of RUI is “scavengers“ and will feature readers Heidi Zull, Andy Benson, Ryan Werner and Alice Oleson, plus games, prizes and live music by Cranes/Vultures. As always, this event will be hosted by Ellen Goodmann, Kristina Castaneda and myself. So stop down, hear some scavenger-related words and musings and have a few drinks in the process. Like last time, this will also coincide with the release of the new issue of Ruix as well and they will be available that night, so that’ll be good. Also keep in mind that this is a 21+ event, so leave the kiddies at home for this one. Oh yeah! And it’s been moved to a new venue. It will be at The Smokestack which is at 62 E. 7th Street in downtown Dubuque.

That’s that for now. Keep an eye open for a new InHarmony with Erin Hedley coming soon and new Ruix Podcast episodes just as soon as we get around to booking more guests on the show. In the meantime, please enjoy the back catalog of episodes and/or subscribe on iTunes.

[ruixzine]

Week 25

Everyone needs to fucking relax. PLEASE. I just went to Hy Vee for a can of corned beef hash and NOTHING ELSE, and it took me 35 minutes. Evidently, the thought of an oncoming snowstorm makes everyone think they’re going to die. Or, at the very least, be trapped in their homes for DAYS.. People, this happens every year. How are you not used to it? They’re called seasons and if you don’t like them you are totally in the wrong part of the country. I, for one, welcome the snow. It leaves a shiny white blanket over all the candy wrappers, broken toys, tampons and other garbage that are scattered in your yards. Now, granted, I totally just listed shit I cleaned out of my own yard today, but still... we’re all dirts. Come on, you know it, I know it. I’ve seen some of your fucking yards, okay. Not impressed. The first snowfall lets you cover up how much of a dirt you are without actually cleaning. That’s a victory, as far as I’m concerned.

That said, I definitely don’t recommend driving in the shit, if you can avoid it. Which is what Aseethe have decided is for the best with regard to tonight’s show. I can’t say I blame them. They’d be coming in from Iowa City and having done that drive in a snowstorm myself, I can definitely say it’s not fun and certainly not safe. Unfortunately, it also means they cannot make the show or the podcast we had scheduled this afternoon, which is definitely a drag. Also, as I typed that last sentence, Atilla the Band has dropped off the show too. I assume due to inclement weather as well. As much as I would love to have just partied in our space with the Sludgeburner boys, it’s not much of a show with just one band. So, alas, another day, when the end of days in the form of pretty sparkles is less imminent.

So, no Music Series X... Or, at least, not tonight. But plenty of events still on the horizon. Since I’ve been plugging them pretty relentlessly on the blog the last few weeks, I’m just going to rapid fire them here, if you don’t mind: 

Darkslide Third Annual Skateboard Art Show (opening reception) Saturday, November 28

Readings Under the Influence: Resurrection Saturday, December 12

DAAC Art Sale Friday, December 11

That’s about all we have confirmed at the moment, but plenty of other events in the works, including more InHarmony performances and Ruix Podcast guests, so please, stay with us. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go sit back and watch the plows go through my neighborhood as I plow through some beers.

P.S. Oh, and listen to the latest episode of the Ruix Podcast with my guest Miles Nielsen. YES, it finally happened. And it was a blast.

Episode #13

[ruixzine]

Week 23

Everyone good? Okay, let’s get into this.

So it’s Friday, which means another blog post from me regarding DAAC-related events. And there are a few. First, let’s talk about the past week. The DAAC Music Series IX show was this past Sunday and a blast was had by all. I came in a little late, so I missed almost all of Curt Oren’s set, but the last five or six minutes were great. I always like watching that guy play sax. Evidently, I missed a ten-plus minute-long interlude of Curt just taking a Skype call from his buddy as part of his set. Hmm. Interesting artistic choice, bud. Looking forward to the next Curt show where he does his laundry as part of his set. Dana T’s three-piece band was up next (which included Curt) and they played a nice tight little set of pop songs. Good stuff. Our own Bob Bucko rounded out the night with one of his solo sets. The show was a success, good turnout and good sets from everyone. It was also over by 10:00, which the old man in me is particularly appreciative of.

Also this week, the first meeting involving the resurrection of RUI (Readings Under the Influence) was this week and I’m happy to announce that I’ll be helping Kristina Castaneda and Ellen Goodmann organize this quarterly event. RUI was a monthly event where people would volunteer to read something on stage that fit the theme of that month’s show, be it something they wrote or something they love that someone else wrote. Kind of open mic-y, but there would be actual booked guests, including musical guests and some sort of reading/writing-typed game or activity. This time around, to fit the schedules of everyone involved, the DAAC gallery will host the event four times a year so everyone isn’t scrambling every month to come up with material and guest readers. Also, the idea is to have them coincide with the release of the Ruix Zine. So the first one is set for December 12 and more details and specifics about the first one will be forthcoming. Now, mind you, this is not necessarily when the zine will come out, but it should be AROUND then anyway. That will partially depend on when you, the public, get your submissions for the next issue in. Send those to [email protected].

Coming up in the Ruix space, Music Series X is set for November 20. This will feature an all-metal cast of characters, including Atalla from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a return performance from Iowa City’s Aseethe (the SOPHOMORE effort, if you will) and the debut Ruix performance from Dubuque supergroup Sludgeburner. Sludgeburner features, among others, my pal and god damn WIZARD on the guitar, Billy Carr from Enemies of Confusion, my pal and former downstairs neighbor Andy Schneider from Snuff Queen and my pal and guy I’m probably going to fight someday “Big Dave” Pierson formerly of Bucket House Hooligans and the Bradshaws.

Also that day I’m going to sit down with Brian and Eric from Aseethe and do a podcast interview. That should be a good time, so make sure you keep your eyes open for that one.

Also coming up, the first In Harmony live recording on Sunday, November 8. The first one will feature a performance from Dredge, plus some interview snippets conducted by your favorite podcast host. No, NOT Joe Rogan... your second favorite? Okay, maybe your 500th favorite (c’mon, that’s kinda fair, right)? Me. It’s me who I’m talking about. Anyway, if their podcast episode is anything to go on, this should be a blast. As you know, they have absolutely killed it once before in our humble space. Not to mention, if Monday night’s performance with Ken MODE was anything to go off of, they’re going to do it again. I’m looking quite forward to it. But, again, these are closed to the public, so you’ll have to just watch it on cable access or on our friend Dean Wellman’s YouTube channel like everyone else, people.

Speaking of  Ken MODE, I finally saw Ken MODE. They’ve been here, what, two or three other times? Not to mention to nearby cities a bunch of other times, but I always missed them. They put on an incredible show. I’m definitely glad I threw caution to the wind and ventured out on a school night. With them were a band called Lo Pan who also were incredible. I think I might even like them better than Ken MODE. And, again, Dredge played a killer set, as usual, which we intend to capture on camera on Sunday.

In podcast news, I’m interviewing Ray “Harpo” Hutchinson tonight at 7:00. Ray is a fixture of this town and has been for decades. He’s an incredibly smart and warm guy and he’s got a lot of stories to tell which, if you’ve ever bellied-up next to him at the bar you have no doubt heard some of them. Those that know him know what to expect. As for those that don’t, I urge you to check the episode out when it comes out because you’ll definitely be entertained.

To those that were looking forward to the Miles Nielsen interview this week, I apologize it’s not up yet. Unfortunately, Miles had to reschedule again last week, so we are now set to do it in a couple of weeks when he’s back in town. So don’t worry, it’s definitely coming, along with other interviews so keep an eye out, subscribe, do what you gotta do... just feed your head with my voice, will ya? I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

Another plug for The Third Annual Darkslide Skateboard Art Show, which is coming up on Saturday, November 28 upstairs in the DAAC Gallery with special musical guests Telekinetic Yeti and Snuff Queen (who I forgot to mention last week, sorry dudes), Thee Micro Mantis from Denver (and kinda Dubuque-ish) and Garbage Man from Milwaukee. As always, donation suggested at the door. Also, this is an all-ages event. So be sure to bring your infants to see some skateboard art. (NOTE: In case it’s not clear, that’s a joke. Probably don’t bring your infant if you can avoid it).

Okay, bye.

[ruixzine]

Week 21

You know, I feel like I should celebrate the Ruix Zine Blog turning 21 by going out and seeing a show, because… once again, I’ve been coming up short lately with the likes of show attendance. I’m working on that, people. Believe me, I’m not intentionally skipping shows out of laziness or hungovery-ness or whatever… It’s getting to be mid-terms for me and even though you may be sick of me talking about my classes and shit, it’s taking up most of my time. It’s not an excuse, it’s just my current reality. I’m working on it, though.

We did have the Music Series VIII show last Friday night. Let me tell you about that, quick. The night started out with Shaun Healey and Lisa Acosta’s new folk duo The Deep Light. Despite Lisa making reference to her nervousness a few times (which I actually thought was sort of endearing) I thought it was a great show, especially for a debut show. At least, I think it was their debut. They may have actually done a set or two previously in Galena where they both frequent, actually, now that I think about it. But it was their debut at Ruix, and it was great, like I said. GOSH from the Quad Cities followed them. I’m going to be honest, I was outside for a lot of their set. I know that’s super rude and I apologize, but as an aside, you guys… I’ve been craving a cigarette lately hardcore. I haven’t smoked one since early June. I’m doing well, all things considered, especially with my school schedule consistently stressing me out and whatnot… but this particular night I found myself going outside more than usual so I could smell some of my friends’ second-hand smoke. I’m not proud of it, but it’s something that happened. And I still haven’t smoked. Anyway, what I did see of GOSH was very good. Rounding off the night, of course, was Kristina and Bob’s Arc Numbers. As always, thanks so much to those of you that showed up to support the show. The show coincided with the release of Episode #10 of the Ruix Podcast with Kristina and I’s whiskeydrunk conversation. So if that helped get you to the show, then great.

Bob Bucko Jr., the other half of Arc Numbers, was my most recent drunken conversation on Ruix Podcast and, as of last night, it is available to listen to at your earliest convenience. I urge you to check it out too, because we dig pretty deep into our collective musical pasts and some gold came out of it. I’ll warn you, by the end we both get pretty slurry and bust each other’s balls a little bit more… but that’s how we do.

Episode #11

We’ve got more exciting guests coming up including Miles Nielsen, Super Happy Funtime Burlesque bandleader Cory Ruffin, Iowa City doomsters Aseethe and lots more. Subscribe on iTunes or keep your eye on my Facebook and Twitter feeds as I share the links in those places as well. It’s a good show, I think. I’m pretty proud of it. Bob, incidentally, is also playing the next Music Series show, Music Series IX on November 1 as a solo act. He will appear alongside his Iowa City bros Curt Oren and Dana T. That show will be a fun one, so I urge you not to miss it.

Bummer about the Cubs this season. I’m not a Cubs fan, but I kind of like it when they do well because most of my friends are Cubs fans and it kind of sucks when you’re maybe trying to enjoy a successful season with your own team but all your friends have completely tuned out of baseball altogether by mid-July so you can’t even get anybody to watch games with you. That certainly was NOT the case this year. Boston did horribly, so I tuned into the Cubs when I could. Since my very last blog post last Friday, they entered the second round of the playoffs and were promptly swept by the New York Mets. Bully for the Mets though, because I do have friends who are Mets fans as well. I’m just hoping for a good World Series at this point. Let’s go, Mets.

Oh, and by the way, if you are interested in submitting material for the next issue of the Ruix Zine, your chance to do so is coming up shortly. Just like last time, the zine will emphasize music, with a focus on area events and emerging artists. Writers of all ages are encouraged to submit. Content accepted includes, but is not limited to, reviews of shows and recordings, essays, poetry, short fiction, bathroom wall scribbles, personal tweets about Ronald Trump or whatever his name is, ideas for new lyrics to “The Birthday Song,” etc., etc. etCETERA. Again, if you have an idea for the zine, get your submission(s) in to [email protected] by no later than November 14. Maybe it’ll make it in, and maybe it won’t. I’ll tell you one thing, it definitely WON’T if you don’t submit it. No brainer, AMIRITE!? No final release date has been decided upon yet, but it will be out by mid-December. So, you know… Christmas themes if you want.. Do it.

Okay, that’s it for me this week. Go home.