So it's been a while since I've posted anything up here. Too long actually. It seems like I can't go a day without getting messaged from one of our throngs of fans begging, pleading for a new St. James inc blog entry.
The time is here my friends.
As many of you know, Matt Ramsey (guitar, backing vocals, "chill guy") and I moved out to Los Angeles about 8 months ago, and I think it's been a pretty successful relocation. We signed with a phenomenal managemenet company, had our tunes placed in film and television, met some amazing people, and Ramz got a boner after running into Jeremy Piven at Les Deux. Successful indeed. But we've also played some shows, quite a few actually, so I just kinda wanted to give you a recap on when / where we've played since touching down here.
August, 2006.
City: Chicago
Venues: Subterranean, Lollapalooza Music Festival
This isn't actually from LA, it's from Lollapalooza in Chicago. BUT! It was the last show we played with our old band line-up before moving, so it was emotional and I feel it's blog relevant. Reagrdless, the night before we played the festival, we sold out local rock club Subterannean. While I'd like to take full credit for this, I can't. We had a guest with us. A very special guest. His name is DJ Laser Love, and teamed up with St. James inc we brought the house down in a big way. I also made the decsion to switch anti-perspirants after my trusty Old Spice failed me in a big way that night.
"Put ya damn hands up!!"
And at the festival the next day...
That's not my ass, it's a white belt...unfortunately.
January, 2007
City: Los Feliz
Venue: Tangier
So after being in LA 3 months we had our first show at Tangier in Los Feliz, which unfortunately was cursed from the start. We had, and I'm not kidding here, no fewer than four musicians agree to play the show only to cancel within a matter of days. We rehearsed once and our drummer hadn't listened to the songs before rehearsal. Needless to say I was super-pumped about the prospect of having to deal with this kinda shit whenever we booked a show. But in the end, our drummer came to the show with everything nailed and I think Ramz got a hand-job that night, so all's well that ends well.
February, 2007
City: Hollywood
Venue: The Hotel Cafe
This was our first show at THE Hotel Cafe. Since moving to LA, Ramz and I have spent a ton of time at Hotel Cafe, soto play there for the first time was a total thrill. Not getting a single decent picture of that night was indeed not a thrill, but oh well.
March, 2007
City: Glendale
Venue: The Scene Bar
Drawing people to your shows is important, obviously. If you don't draw, you don't get paid, you piss the promoter off, no one takes home your cd, it's basically a pretty bad deal. And drawing in LA can be tough. "Are you serious? You're playing in Silver Lake? That far east!? Sorry, I have a mani / pedi and can't make it over there in time." This is what you deal with, and it blows. So maybe the decision to play The Scene Bar in Glendale at 10pm on a Friday was one we should have thought twice about. The thing is, it's a great club with great sound and a huge stage, and to be honest, it was a blast. Plus, Laser Love made another appearance and all three people in the audience had a blast too.
Ya know what my biggest fear as an artist is? You might say "writers block." No. You might say "Getting too old to write anything relevant and dying a lonely bourgeois asshole." Again no. Give up? It's cramping up on stage. So Laser and I like to do full body stretches before and after shows. Like this....
Sometimes the fans like to join in....
April, 2007
City: Las Vegas
Venue: The Art Bar
This was our first show in Vegas, and we opened for our good friends The Ruse. We played the show acoustic, but the Ruse boys got on stage with us and backed us up on "Northeast Texas Women" by Willis Alan Ramsey for an encore. I wouldn't necessarily list country music as one of The Ruse's primary influences, but if I was ever curious as to what The Edge would sound like wailing over a Robert Earl Keen tune, I now know. Even more exciting was watching Ramz consume what I call the "Surf and Turf" from McDonald's on the drive out. It's a filet-o-fish patty inside a double cheeseburger (insert heart attack joke here). Also of interest:
1. Ramz bringing an afro-american tranny hooker back to our room. He claims he didn't know she / he was a prostitute, and ya know what? He probably didn't.
2. A friend of ours (no names needed) passing out with a half naked french drifter on him. I had absolutely nothing at all whatsoever to do with that.
3. "Alien-Fresh Jerky" This is actually a place. PS the jerky kinda blows
This is minutes after Ramz bailed me out of the LVPD holding cell. Note the look of dissapointment...
The afformentioned Surf and Turf...
"McDonald's Surf and Turf: Worth all three years it will take off your life!" Go get em Ramz...
"Bonjour!"
We almost got our space cruiser towed (get it?!) (sorry)
May, 2007
Venues: Mueller's Massage School, Muddy Waters, The Gypsy Den
Cities: Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, San Diego
We had a few road shows in May, and one of them was, yes you read correctly, at a massage school in San Diego. Evidentily the bar we were supposed to play at got too many noise complaints and the promoter had to move his remaining acts across the street to the lobby of a massage school. Between the three acts that played, I counted a whopping 58 "happy ending" references from the stage. The night ended with me making out with a sparrow and getting "lifted"on someone's futon.
Next was Muddy Waters, a coffee shop in Santa Barbara. Not too many in attendance, but we got to eat and drink for free all night, and the one fan we had there turned out to be a witch doctor. I shouldn't have been suprised, witch doctors love St. James inc. Regardless, she danced for the majority of the evening like it was 1964...you know the type. After the show Ramz and I got a little loose and I tried to convince the bouncer of a local club that my name was "Alf Cheeseman," that I tour managed The Neptunes, and that he should be honored to let Ramz and I bypass the line into his club.
Both of us went home solo.
The next day I got sick with what I can only describe "24 hour ebola" and barely made it through our show at the Gypsy Den.
The Northstar Session rocking massage style
Greatest drinking partner of all time...
Gimmie some sugar...
Thanks Chong!
Kane, drummer of Northstar Session, in pre-show ritual
Ebola inspired emotion at the Gypsy Den
June, 2007
Venues: Molly Malone's, Hotel Cafe, Crane's Hollywood Tavern
City: Los Angeles
A great month for shows. We were back at the Hotel for the third time, played Molly's to a warm reception, and played acoustic at Crane's in quite literally the wamrmest environment we've ever played. I think it reached 85° by the time we took the stage. Nothing out of the ordinary about these shows, other than me stealing an Australian lady's yellow windbreaker at a pizza parlor at 2:34 am. So again, nothing out of the ordinary.
Burnin at Crane's
Molly Malone's baby...
Rabid fan attempting to steal my guitar stand. In the end security had to taze her.
Back at Hotel
One minute before bolting out the door, flourescent jumper still on...too bad she caught me and beat the shit out of me
So there ya have it. I might have left out a show here and there, but I think you get the point. Hope you enjoyed the photo-recap, stay tuned...
-aust, st. james inc