So here's the skinny on all the shows we've played so far... At least, these are the one's that we remember. If anything really crazy happened we'll try to stick the pertinent info in as well. Feel free to comment if there's anything you feel we left out or if you have anything else to add. Well then...
2002
-12/20 - Bottle Rocket, Toledo w/ Oh My God(Chicago) & Gopher Broke - This was the first show we ever booked but it never happened for some reason. I can't remember why. This is about a month after we started playing together with our first drummer, Marty. He may have had another gig that night. He was in alot of bands then. He was prolific, yo.
2003
-1/10 - Mickey Finn's, Toledo w/Last Bastards & Thee Static Rituals - This was the actual first show. It wasn't all that great.
-2/1 - Tramanh's Tet Celebration, Toledo w/ Josh Mills & Thee Static Rituals (+The Sights)- Our friend Tramanh threw this party at her loft apt which she shared w/ local musician Russel Martin and it evolved (or devolved) into a pretty wild night after the guys from the Sights stopped by for an impromptu jam after their gig at Frankie's, and then we even played another, drunker set after that. Russel wasn't too pleased to find the party still in full swing and his apt trashed when he got home at 3am. What did he think was going to happen?
-3/5 - Mickey Finn's w/ Oh My God (and the Submarines?)
-3/20 - Frankie's, Toledo w/ Deathray Davies(Dallas, TX) & The Cupcakes(Bowling Green, OH) - This was a pretty notable gig in that our drummer didn't show, so we had pretty much given up on playing that night. We had gotten pretty chummy with the Deathray Davies guys after finding out that they knew our friends from Texas, Dixie Witch. After their set, which rocked, we half-jokingly asked their singer if he minded if we borrowed their drummer. He replied with the following: "I can play drums. So can the other guys. We're all drummers." Not wanting anyone to feel left out, we proceeded to play our set with each one of them on the kit for three or four songs, and it actually went better than it would have with Marty. I know alot of bands that have gone through alot of drummers, but we're the only one that I know of that's gone through four in one day. Never saw Marty again.
5/17 - Larry's Bar, Columbus, OH w/ Big Buildings(Chicago) - A watershed moment since it was our first out of towner, our first show with our new drummer, Kev (former Porn Flake and Lazy American Worker), and our first time playing with the band that would become our musical soul-mates, Big Buildings. Those guys are the bestest band in the world.
6/27 - Manos, Toledo w/ The Submarines & The Korovas
7/16 - Mickey Finn's w/ The Actual(LA, CA) & The Submarines
8/1 - Cal's Bar, Chicago, IL w/Big Buildings, The Returnables(Chicago) & The Phonocaptors(St. Louis, MO)
8/23 - Howard's Club H, Bowling Green, OH w/ The T-Shirts(BG) & Saturnine Hello
8/29 - Frankie's w/ The Corevares
9/7 - Mickey Finn's w/ Breech(LA)
10/14 - Howard's Club H w/ PW Long(Austin, TX via Detroit) & Electric Turn To Me(NYC) - This was on PW's first tour in like 5 years for his Remembered album and man, was it ever a good one. ETTM was cool too.
10/22 - Mickey Finn's w/ Pete Cassani(of The Peasants, Boston, MA) and Dooley Wilson - We booked this Tuesday night to accomodate our friend Andrea's band, The Drapes(Chicago) since they were out on tour, and then they cancelled on us last minute. She's in a new band called Camaro Rouge and I'd say they still owe us a show. What do you think?
11/19 - Club Escape, Toledo w/ Brian Jonestown Massacre & Sea Ray(NYC) - This was a short-lived club in the damn-near abandoned Northtown Mall and, yes, Anton got in a fight with the guitar player on-stage for the encore, as usual.
11/22 - Masonic Temple, Toledo w/ Drive & MC Habitat
2004
1/16 - Longhorn Saloon, Toledo w/ The Wide Awakes
1/31 - Howard's Club H w/ Oh My God & The T-Shirts
4/16 - Headliner's, Toledo w/ the Wide Awakes - Worst Show Ever.
4/29 - Howard's Club H w/ Evolotto(BG) - Sometime around here was when we 86'd our first guitar player Brett in favor of ex-T-Shirt, Matt Truman. Matt can sing and play guitar very well and Brett can't do either, so it seemed like the right thing to do.
5/14 - Mickey Finn's - This was supposed to be with our Flint, MI pals, MUSH (ex-Bumps), but Andy's dad had a heart attack the night before so they couldn't make it. Sadly, he passed that night. I don't remember who played instead, if anyone.
8/8 - Mickey Finn's w/ Oh My God & The Submarines (actually, this might have been '03 now that I think about it)
8/26 - Howard's Club H w/ The Dumb Easys(BG) & The Perms(BG)
10/? - Noel's Outdoor Equinox Party - Stevie Pound filled in on bass for this one while Jay filled in on bass for Five Horse Johnson in Europe for 5 weeks. We don't know who filled in for Steve.
11/13 - Mickey Finn's w/ Outsmarted & ? - This might have been the first time Ken played with us, on guitar. Once we found out he had a lap-steel, well...that was that.
2005
1/20 - The Underground, Toledo w/ Oh My God, Static Rituals & the Cartridge Family
2/5 - Mickey Finn's w/ Highbinder?
3/12 - Fuse, Toledo and The Underground w/ Drama Club - Two gigs in one night. Tru couldn't be there cuz he was playing at The Underground with his other band, Drama Club(BG) and Ken couldn't be there cuz he had a gig with Russel Martin. One of the bands cancelled at the D-Club show, and both of the other bands we were supposed to play with across the street at Fuse (the old Bottle Rocket) failed to show, so we played a quick set as a 3-piece, drank all of our free beers, and humped our shit across the street and opened for D-Club as a 4-piece. We thought we were pretty cool. Beefcake the Mighty was even there.
3/24 - Mickey Finn's w/ Dragracer & The Deadbeat Moms
5/7 - The Underground w/ Pearls and Brass(PA), Shortstack, Local Honey & Four on the Floor
6/9 - Mickey Finn's w/ Big Buildings & The Deadbeat Moms - Opening night of our three day, four gig, tri-state tour with Big Buildings. We had more fun then, well...It was alot of fun.
6/10 - WCSB FM live on-air and Pat's in the Flat's, Cleveland, OH w/ Big Buildings, New Planet Trampoline(Cleveland), & This Is Exploding - NPT was a super-cool band that sounded like a cross between Syd Barrett-era Floyd and The Byrds at their most psychedelic. They have a new band called the Dreadful Yawns which you should really check out.
6/11 - Sweatbox Lounge, Chicago, IL w/ Big Buildings, The Returnables, & The Stroby Alliance(Chicago) - The Sweatbox was the very aptly named venue in the basement of the Big Buildings dwelling. They hosted a bunch of these shows throughout the summer and recorded all of them and then put out a cd sampler of some of the best stuff they got. We're proud to be the only non-Chicago band on it.
7/2 - Longhorn Saloon w/ The Highgears(BG) & Highbinder
7/8 - The Underground w/ The Payback's(Detroit, MI), The Crown Jewels(BG), & The Deadbeat Moms
8/6 - Jacoby's 313, Detroit, MI w/ The Offramps(Plymouth, MI) & The Hula Poppers(Detroit)
11/5 - Mickey Finn's w/ Broadzilla(Detroit) & Dirty Damn Band
11/11 - The Underground w/ Easy Action(Detroit) & Boogaloosa Prayer - This show was like a rock and roll family reunion. Almost every member of every band had played in or with other members of the other bands over the predeeding decade or so. We all drank alot of beer and told alot of funny stories, plus some guy bootlegged the Easy Action set and the dvd is available if you look hard (hint: Ramalama).
2006
3/4 - Howard's w/ Oh My God, AM Error, The Anti-Villains, and Macaroni & Chas
3/23 - Mickey Finn's w/ Muschi & Eight Weeks Out
4/20 - Mickey Finn's w/ Sangsara, The Heart of Juliet Jones, and Disaster Will Strike - This show was to celebrate Connor Finn's birthday. He hand picked the bands and we were touched that he picked us.
5/5 - Mickey Finn's w/ Big Buildings and Eight Weeks Out
5/13 - Jacoby's 313, Detroit, MI w/ The Offramps and Desolation Angels(St. Clair shores, MI)
6/2 - Longhorn Saloon w/Glass Bead Game, Sangsara, and Wild Trees
6/16 - Vamp's, Toledo w/ Five Horse Johnson, Local H(Chicago), Novadriver(Detroit), Highbinder, Deadbeat Moms, and Downtown Brown(Detroit) - This was a huge, two-floor blowout to celebrate the release of Five Horse's new cd, The Mystery Spot. There were a shitload of people there.
6/17 - Paycheck's, Detroit, MI w/ Bullcock(Sayresville, NJ via Detroit) and the Inside Outlaws(Detroit) - This was Bullcock's cd release for their hometown crowd. We spent most of the night down the street at the Belmont drinking their $1 PBRs since the cheapest beer at Paycheck's was $3 Strohs, with no band discounts. What the fuck?
7/28 - Mickey Finn's w/ The Anti-Villains and The Blue Streaks
9/8 - Longhorn Saloon w/ The Blue Streaks and The LPs
9/9 - Elbow Room, Ypsilanti, MI w/ The Offramps and Bull Halsey(Ypsi)
9/29 - Mickey Finn's w/ Bare Flames(Buffalo, NY) and Larry Love
10/7 - Vamp's w/ Oh My God, The Matt Truman Ego Trip, Liono, and AM Error
11/3 - Mickey Finn's w/ The Muggs (Detroit) and Wilbur Shaw
11/11 - The Underground (Lara's Birthday Party) w/ Highbinder, and PB Army - Quote of the night: "Well, this won't be the last time we never do this again." -JubJub
11/24 - Mickey Finn's w/ Cetan Clawson and Dooley Wilson
2007
1/26 - Mickey Finn's w/ Glass Bead Game and Die Like TV
2/24 - New Dodge Bar, Hamtramck, MI w/ The Motor City Orphans and The Fury
3/24 - Mickey Finn's w/ SSM (Detroit)
4/21 - Chronic Tardiness 2007 @ Club Bijou w/ Highbinder, the Motor City Orphans, Chrome Helmet, Concrete Shu, PB Army, etc - This actually was the last time we never did this again. As I type, The Bijou has succumbed to the wrecking ball to make way for the new Toledo multi use arena. Good ol' Bijou (Underground, Asylum, Red Room, Citi Lounge, Fusion, etc). *sigh*
4/27 - Mickey Finn's w/ The Muggs
5/11 - Frankie's w/ The Highgears and the Brian Schram Band - The Highgears rocked, as always, and the rest of the night was hilarious in sooooomany ways. If you were there you know. If not, there's no way I can do it justice here. Quote of the night: "So what's this band called?" - Brad Coffin (standing next to stage-dwarfingly huge, lit up sign reading THE BRIAN SCHRAM BAND)
5/18 - The Elbow Room, Ypsilanti, MI w/ Big Buildings, The Laurels of Bedford (Ypsi), and
7/25 - Frankie's w/ Cory Brannan - This was the first time out with the stripped down, mostly acoustic, Jub, Kev, & Ken incarnation of the band and was, by all accounts, fabulous for everyone involved.
9/01 - Frankie's w/ Ty Stone and Doop - This was another acoustic show but this time we played electric, and Ken was missing.
9/20 - Frankie's w/ Holly Golightly (UK), and Dooley Wilson
9/28 - Mickey Finn's w/ Joey and the Traitors and Larry Love
10/07 - Howard's Club H *Purr Like a Kitten 2 Teaser Show* w/ The Anti-Villains and PB Army - This one was supposed to be a benefit to raise money to put out a compilation cd of local bands on the 10th anniversary of the release of volume one of said comp. Static Rituals were going to headline the night and the whole thing was put together by the incorrigible Brett R. Jan, who got pulled over wasted that afternoon, somehow managed to avoid getting arrested, and neglected to find his way to Howard's for his show that night. So his band didn't play and no money was raised for the the comp. On the bright side, we made 30 bucks. Once again, probably not the last time we never do that again.
11/16 - Mickey Finn's w/ Hotness (Detroit/A2) and the Highgears
11/21 - Frankie's *Thanksgiving eve* w/ the Polka Floyd Show
to be continued....