If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!

Geezuss Christ!! Two days later and I'm still feeling the aftermath from the show Saturday with NSK at Shaynas -- but I cant think of a show where we had a better time! We haven't played with the North Side Kings since doing the New Times Music Showcase with them back in 2005, so it was a long time coming.

Kowalski (drummer, NSK) - played a song with us, and it not only gave me a chance to be able to breathe and sing at the same time, but getting to have him play with us was a priviledge - he's hands down the best drummer I've seen in town and I can't really think of anyone out of town that does anything he couldnt pull off, so that was awesome...

and Luke - not only the resident rythym guitar badass in NSK, but coincidentally also my boyfriend - played a tune with us as well and getting to have him on stage playing a song with us made my night. It can be a little intimidating having a boyfriend with talent like he does -  if I wouldve screwed up the song I wouldve felt like a complete moron...no pressure at all!

NSK's set was phenomenal - it was awesome to get to see them on a stage where they werent separated from the crowd - rocked the house indeed...

Got to see a lot of people I hadnt seen in a while, and it was just overall the perfect vibe for a great show - I'm hurting like hell now, but for a show like that it was well worth it!!...

Thanks again to everyone that came out to support us - its appreciated as always :)

may turn this into a very girly mellow song....i know, im going to ruin my tough punk girl reputation...hahahaha

Behind the shell that protects me
Inside there will always be
   A little girl alone and in the dark
Reaching out from inside me
Trying to be who you wanted me to be
   But I always seemed to somehow miss the mark

Always tried to turn all the bad around
Well I never wanted to ever let you down

The dried marks from the tears you cried
I can still see the sadness in your eyes
   As if all of your efforts were in vain
But getting past the weight of why
Forgetting all the futile fights
     And seeing it was your love I tried to gain

Always tried to turn all the bad around
Well I never wanted to ever let you down

All the things I put you through
By what I said and what I'd do
  I'd take it all and then some back away
Way back then I wish I knew
Our years together would be so few
  So I would not have had to miss a day

Well I always tried to turn the bad around
Well I never wanted to ever let you down

And now when you really look at me
Still hope that you will never see
  A little girl alone and in the dark
All the things I tried to be
Just wanted what was in front of me
  But I always somehow seem to miss the mark

And I'll always try to turn the bad around
And I never want to ever let you down

-Jan 07

Time and chance create destiny
Or another opportunity erased
What at once was not but now could be
Another time another place

Above the strength of circumstance
Strangers lost in passing cars
When parts intersect by chance
Alignment of the passing stars

-just wrote this today, may add more to it later...

I seem to go through phases with songwriting - sometimes I can go for weeks without any valuable ideas at all, and other times it seems nearly constant, to the point where it keeps me up at night with words and melodies swarming in my mind - waking up to constant thought.

While I loooooove the heavy shit - metal, punk, hardcore - I also have the side of me that has such an affinity for blues, jazz - Bille Holiday, Ertha Kitt....whats difficult about that is finding a place lyrically for some things in my own band, I think its important for any musician to realize that a good idea may still be meaningful but not necessarily fitting for a particular project. The past few days Ive probably written three or four songs worth of phrases, a chorus here a verse there - but it seems to have a different tone than things I've written before. I like pursuing this different side of things - writing songs like "Take A Number", "Boys and Booze" and "Punk Rock Heaven" are certainly something I enjoy - but lately lyrically I've been more soft, contemplative - maybe Im getting old, maybe its a consequence of circumstance, or some combination of many things - but nonetheless im curious how they'll manifest musically.

I think for now I may post them here in my blogs as a way to clear my mind - getting something written down has always seemed to help release things from my head.

So I found myself with a copy of North Side King's upcoming release, Suburban Royalty, and man....talk about just a straight up SICK record! I've been an NSK fan for quite some time, and after Organizing Our Neighborhood, I would've been happy just to hear something as equally good - but I gotta say Danny and the boys have outdone themselves this time...

With the addition of Jason Kawalski (not sure if I spelled that right), NSK has taken on just a deafening roar of hardcore making a lot of the genre sound like child's play. Kawolski (I'll just spell it different everytime, one of them will have to be right...hahaha) tears some shit up in a way that makes me sit back with goosebumps and enjoy the ride....its so sick its disgusting...as always its pissed, heavy as shit and still manages to be humorous....the drumming on this record really sets it apart from past NSK endeavors and being a drummer, makes me sit there with my jaw on the floor....drumming perfection.....not sure when the release date is going to be, but you NEED this CD!

www.thedames.com

HUGE thank you to AZPUNK Media!!!