There has been a one-year-plus gap between blogs.  That's not very responsible of me.  But is responsibility what we're looking for?  Though the BLOG POSTS have slowed, the general activity has not, and morale in the Night Wolves camp is pretty sky-high lately.
First:  After a brief flirtation with the name "Night Wolves," we have gone back to the longer and more ridiculous, albeit familiar "Brian Whitson and the Night Wolves."  The reason? While walking towards the park after dinner one night, I somehow blacked out.  Woke up sometime later, tied and gagged, staring at a half-naked Knife River (a songwriter from the Badlands who also squats in a place in North Minneapolis.  See his Wikipedia entry for more details.)  KR held a "gun," and I'm using that world loosely, because I had never seen anything like it.  It appeared to be made from stone, but it was flexible and covered in heiroglyphic-like font.
He held the gun towards me and, without speaking a word, communicated that, if I ever even think  of changing the band name again, I would get the business end of that gun. 
So that's part of that story.  The part I'm allowed to tell you, anyway.
Second, we have a rockin' 4-piece band these days.  The good ol' boys from A Paper Cup Band have teamed up with us in what many thought was an inevitable marriage.  We're glad to have them!  We're ON TOUR right now in Wisconsin.  (no jokes, o.k. guys?)  The trip has been great, short but great!!!  Glad to be on the road again.
Lastly, we have a new split CD with two great bands:
the aforementioned A Paper Cup Band
and the formidable Hunger Strike Riot from Appleton, Wisconsin.
The CD features three unreleased songs from each act.  The Whitson songs include:
I'm Comin' By
Song for a Solstice Swim
Shaving Song

$5.00 for a CD ppd.  E-mail or message for more details (and perhaps nude pics.  Five cents for a peek)

OK, that's good.  Happy Mardi Gras to everyone.  "Fat Tuesday? More like Phat Tuesday.  That's how I live my life."

Nico

we have a new c.d.!

     the album is called "SPICE MOUNTAIN, SACRED HEART."  The band is called "Brian Whitson and the Night Wolves."

The album contains thirteen songs for seekers of every breed.  brand-new songs, no repeats, no double-ups.  no dirty south remixes, just thirteen of the best songs you've ever heard.

Buy one at a show - or through the mail: xwhitsonx@yahoo.com

or you can also buy them at the electric fetus, arise! bookstore, or treehouse records, all in minneapolis.

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I'm going on tour in august, with my friend CASTLE DANGER.  we're going first to the west coast, then to the east coast.  if you live or if you have friends in the northern half of the country who would dig us, let me know!  we're looking for small places, good souls, and vegan cajun food.  repeat, v-e-g-a-n.  :)  :) :)

summer in minnesota means thick air, sweating, cans of beer.  trees and long nights. sleeping little, dreaming often.

take care,

nico

lightning in the south, thunder in the valley

there is a lot to talk about, but here is what's going on:

summer in minnesota, which means humidity, electrical storms and fireflies

haunted boat launches

old friends, some who play the banjo, some who ride by on bikes

lots of shows! wow, it's going to be a fun summer :) :) :) :) :)

new album, which will be out probably sometime in july. pre-order that shit on Best Buy .com  (and by that I mean, yell really loud and I'll probably hear you)

late-night bookstores on hennepin and how-to books on drawing animals.

life is good. something is shifting.

tour in august! U.S.A., get ready to be shredded by CASTLE DANGER VS. NIGHT WOLVES!!!!  and my brother Hermie!!!

o.k., friends. hope your summer is all flowers in your hair, sweet smells on the wind.

"alright, peace and love."

this will not be profound, nor heartwarming.

 this will be the One Who Speaks Softly, the One Who Saves His Words.

On Monday, I will say 'good-bye' to Portland. Best wishes, I will grace thee again.  Someday.

Thank you to 'and the Night Wolves," the best band on the planet.

Thank you to so many people.  Look for a new album in June or July.

I am going to Minnesota, the land of 10,000 cool dudes and even more boat parties.  "Y'all don't like me? Blow me!"

Thanks, Oregon.

NN

This week will bring two evening engagements with los Night Wolves, one SATURDAY night and one THURSDAY night.  Both will be recorded by the Trash Factory

http://www.trashfactory.net

(of Emily Picha fame)

and you can come and sing and be on the record!

sunofabitch! this is gonna be fun!

hope the spring-time has found you somewhere good.

nicholas

brian whitson and the night wolves sing three nights of four.

tues, march 13: the waypost.  n. williams. with jak lorang, that magnificent marsupial with tambourines around his ankles.

thurs. march 15: the clinton street brewing company.  the black-and-white checkered floor, the movie theater next door, the old record store, the one-two-three-four. emily will be in hood river. 'and the night wolves' will play another night.

fri. march 16th: proper eats. 8638 n. lombard, portland, st. johns, oregon.  will haine and the night wolves play a cursed bill. who will break up next? let's talk about it over an organic beer and furtively stroke our beards, what d'ya say?

tomorrow is daylight savings time.  don't forget to fall back....suckers.

and watch out.  sugar ants are back on the prowl.

"we got ant problems."

"what kinda ants?"

"you know...the mean ones."

attention earthlings:

         2006 went away. safe travels, write soon, I will miss you, be careful on the road 'cause you're my b.f.f.

         I hope you had a happy new year. sorry if I drunk-dialed you so many times, but I'm a drunk-dial addict.  love to booze and dial.

        So what do we get from 2007? A big breath and back into the game after an eggnog-fueled detour to multnomah falls.

we'll play some songs this saturday night. 1419 se pine st. 8 p.m. and lord knows what will happen after that but you'll hear it first here.

        also tony wrote a really nice story about us for the KPSU radio station.  Grueling interview, I thought he might smear me, but it came out A-OK.  you can read it here:

http://www.kpsu.org/node/2798

Tony, you're alright. I don't care what the courts say about you. I don't even care about the ankle bracelet. I like you.

Kiss everybody around you. make this year your best one. shut off your playstation, we need you.

best,

nick

Nikki will go into labor tomorrow night. There's gonna be a baby girl in this house. She's going to be a wonderful mother.

The other night we opened for Paul Baribeau and Captain Chaos in a living room.  The power was out and it was really nice.

Some guy I met outside wrote a review of the show. It manages to mix 'smoking weed' with 'brian whitson show,' so I guess my goal for writing these songs has been accomplished.  So long, and thanks for all the shoes.

http://aintnopicnic.blogspot.com

P.S. It's snowing in Portland and feels like Minnesota. My surfboard got frost all over it and warped out.

P. P. S. I miss Paul alot.

Today is the start of Portland's Rainy Season.  They say shit's goin' downhill fast around here, but I fear nothing.  Except for water. If I touch it, it's all over.

Let's not cry about the rain, really. We've got a bunch of shows coming up here in November, including a three-day streak of pure punk rock beauty at strange places.

And check it out - there's a band now! a real live band with drums and a bass and sometimes a banjo.  why don't you want to come? seriously?

Bring your friends. Better yet, bring your grandma and her cousins. They love Minor Threat's early stuff, so they will dig us on principle alone, right?

 

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Hey!

 I've been lucky enough to work with Lost Cat Records, out of Richmond, Va. They're selling my c.d. on I-Tunes, so if you want to go that route, look at http://www.lostcatrecords.com

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Otherwise, we got to see Ghost Mice last night and I think I might keep smiling until the earth explodes. Really.

Seeya!