This show was different.  I found it because I've been doing research in a 100 mile radius for shows and things going on to keep our band going now that we don't have a rehearsal spot.  I found Meatfest in Pearisburg, and where my girl teaches high school out there I had a little bit of influence on bringing some kids out there.  I called up the Meatball and he got back to me about a week later, and made up the flyer.  

The City of Pearisburg is 3 square miles with a population density of 890 people per square mile.  Total population 1270.  19 churches.  Zero bars, zero strip clubs, zero theaters.  19 churches.  Zero shows every year. 

The City of Mullens, where we played last week, is comparable as far as population goes, with more people spread over more land, but there is one big difference, if you look at Wikipedia:  Mullens has a section called "Things to do".  There is no such section in the Pearisburg Wiki, unsurprisingly.  19 churches.

We met at Princeton Starbucks and got jacked up on some caffeine. I ran into a literature professor I had in college.

We showed up about 1:30 to the Pearisburg Wal-Mart and bought drumsticks and a voice-changer.  We were able to produce many obscenities with the voice of an alien AND a robot.  At 2:30 we were finishing up our setlist and getting pumped up.  I called Jason and he said they would leave in about 30 minutes.  About 5 minutes later the Meatball called me and said we were on next.  Next?  I wasn't even there yet, LOL.  He sent someone to come and show us the way to his house.  There were about 12 cars there, and Diggety Dave had already played.  That sucks because I really wanted to see his act.  We parked and I gave Skinny some cough syrup, he was sick enough to not play.  It was about 3:00, and the Meatman came up to us and said that we should go on next, and I  said that we asked some people to show up and they werent' there yet.  He said to work it out with the other band.  I approached Most Ill and the lead singer was one of those dudes that spits every 3 seconds.  He said they drove 4 hours to get there, and that they were a hardcore band.  I said kenny was sick and he needed to wait for his cough syrup to kick in and I didn't mind if we all waited.  He said fuck it we'll go on. 

We were sitting outside and Meatdoodle came out to the car and said for us to come in and watch the band:  who consequently did not watch our show, but thats ok.  They got one of those elbow throwing mosh pits going.  They were vegan, except for the drummer.  Meatguy was in the peoplecluster.  They broke down I said good show and bought one of their CDs.   I don't do this often, but the meaty likey so I'll listen as soon as I get a chance.

the show

We set up in normal fashion other than the fact there was no place to plug in the camera or the audio meter because there was one plugin, a surge protector both me and cheeze had to use.  We went through their PA. I was trying to get Jason to take pictures, to get me a water but he was impatient and didn't want to.  We started off with My Little Witch, and sounded great, everyone wanted to murder someone at some point, but no mosh pit, alot of foot tapping.  Oh, this is a punk crowd, so we play a new one, Gutterbrain, for all the filthy animals.  On the second chorus I CHOMPED my stainless steel SM57 and my  mouth filled with blood.  Then I really started to get into it.  I couldn't hardly talk.  I went into the part where I ask people about Google Earth and explain about the Patriot Act and jump into the Great Violate and someone said "Goo Goo Dolls?"

Frantic movements here and there but no pushing just individual tapping and bobbing the heads.  So then we go into This Abyss and finally Bl99ding Into the Sunset.  Then we got told to break down as fast as possible because we were supposed to play from 5 to 530 and we played from 5 to 535, and the last band had to quit at 10pm.  So, we packed up our shit all except for my clip light, which I let the other bands use due to a busted flourescent. We got loaded up and I came in just as Blackdamp was finishing up God Machine, then they did Hells Half Acre and Desolation Whore.  Then they had to break down real quick too.  They had to head home.  The Reasons We Are Legion! went on next and they had a real deep gut growl goin on it was pretty brutal.  This girl wrote A Society Red on one guys chest,

which we thought was pretty cool;  that was the most participation that we got... it's like the town didn't know how to have a show..  Then we got paid out and went down to a diner to eat.  We told the waiter we just came from the meatfest and he actually knew the guy.  He said Pearisburg never has any shows and there's never been anything for those kids to do.  At first we were like Jesus, this ain't a good show, but the more we thought about it, that was the best metal show Pearisburg gets all year long, between us, Blackdamp, and The Reasons We're Legion!, those kids got a hefty dose.  With a little more exposure we might harvest some expression of angst in a few chosen ones.

Well then we came back to my house.  Called Jason on the way and they were already back.  When we got upstairs we looked on Youtube at the West Virginia Turkey Farm video where they kick the turkeys and punch the turkeys, and talked a little while about a recent animal activist.  Then we watched a couple funny videos which I will try and post here next. 

Thats it for the Meatfest, I guess we'll catch it next time if the Meat abides.

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pre-show

Next morning and damn are my arms tired.  No I didn't fly home.  We removed every piece of equipment from our now former studio in Ghent.  We put all of the stuff that we weren't taking to the show in my Lumina. Kenny packed the stuff we needed for the show in his SUV.  I had to scoot the seat all the way up and I crammed in my car a 4 by 12 cab 3 monitors all the mic stands cables mixers chairs laptops and general bullshit that we had aquired through about a year of thrice weekly rehearsals.  Apparently I can't pack my car as fast as he can, so I need to buy a stopwatch.  That's cool, Lauren's picking one up from Wallyworld today and we're gonna race.  If I win he's gonna pay to have my amplifier fixed.  If he wins I'm going to pay to have my amplifier fixed.

We went by McDonald's and I saw Toodles, the girl that sat next to me and Patty Adkins in Math Class 9th grade.  She's the manager.  Her boobs are way, way too big.  Well we had to stop by COOOOOOOOoooooooooooaaalll CITY!   and drop off some shit with  buddy. 

the show

After that we were haulin' fuckin' ass to Mullens.  We get there and there are several natives milling around the entranceway.    We meet up with the leader of the revolution, David.   After shaking hands and exchanging expletives about the show, we back that sumbitch up to the front porch.  I inquire about the staging areas for our equipment and David helps me move a cart full of folding chairs.  Hell Creek is setting up with their fog machines hissing purple smoke, and the audience is chattering excitedly.  The confectioner's kitchen is over towards the back and I meet the leader's lady Keisha.  They are making hot dogs like nobodies business.  I get a free one, which I totally needed, along with a water. I set it to the side.  By that time Kenny has made his way through greeting friends and we load our equipment to the side of the stage as Hell Creek starts to play a Hendrix cover.

"Cuz I'm a voodoo chile Lawd Knows I'm a VOODOO CHILE!" 

I eat my free hot dog, and it tastes so good that I immediately think of Phil Anselmo, and wonder if his hot dog dinner is equally delicious.  As I'm finishing up, Tommy shows up.  I run into Kyle and get him to sign the hookbook.  I plug in the video camera at the cafeteria after wandering around looking for a plug-in.  This is always a problem for me, finding the right plugin for my wing-wangs.  Well I couldn't get it to work after wasting much time.  I make my way to the stage as Hell Creek is finishing up.  Kenny is finishing setting up his drums on the sidewing and I carry my amp out as he finishes.  I am left with unravel duty, trying to find the mic stand that should have been in his vehicle with my mic but wasn't.  So then I had to borrow Hell Creek's mic stand.  Then we had to hunt down one for Kenny and we plugged in through the PA.  I was under the impression that this was a nice PA. 

I ran my guitar speaker out through it along with my mic and Kenny's mic.  We did a soundcheck like normal and everything looked O.K.  As I faced the crowd of the MOC for the first time, my jaw dropped to the floor.  They were all sitting down in chairs!  "Get up here to the front, I don't think I've ever played a show where people sat down,"  I said, laughing.  Kenny started bashing on the floor tom to signal the beginning of Doppelganger.

 Then my gremlin appeared out of the corner of my eye and began turning knobs.  No one can see him but me.  My Line6 Ax212 is an amplification modeling system, it has several parameter knobs to make it sound like other amps.  This gremlin was turning all of these knobs as I was playing our first song, Doppelganger.  I had to stop and the president was like do you need me to turn a knob or something here?  I said yeah take it down a little, it's clipping ( I was trying to buy some time just hoping the gremlin would wither away).  SO no other sounds tonite, all distortion, and our balance was lopsided. 

We are professionals, and we soldiered on.  As Kenny began bashing the low tom again, I knew tonight was going to be different.  After our initial difficulties, a few people went outside to smoke, and when they heard the screams that we rent from the depths of our souls, some of the Lenny Kravitz crowd became uncomfortable.  But the true gangsters were up front, waiting for a catalyst. 

It was strange going through our set with all distortion, but we pulled it off.  Puph was unable to hear his bass because he had scooted it up so far and Kenny couldn't hear either one of us because we didn't bring our monitors. 

We count on alot of crowd participation, and Mullens kids will get a huge dose of kickass with the influx of talent that will be coming through there including our return.  Next time we bring our own floor monitors and a mannequin full of raw meat like Deicide did in southern Florida in the 90s.  Let them destroy it like cannibals on a gory pinata unless they're too scared to touch it (some of them had a little trouble letting loose).  All we need is a couple of people willing to express themselves without looking funny in front of their friends.  Now that we know this it will be easier at our next show.

The highlight of the evening was Red Letter Massacre.  Those dudes came out with THE baddestass drumset I think I've ever seen.  It had 2 big double bass drums and a humongous rack (pervert) along with all black drum heads.  Their guitars were all super dimes and their amps were kranked.  The last song of the night they played Pantera Cowboys from Hell and i said Oh shit.  Sure enough, Kenny "phil" Necessary got up there and started belting out the lyrics.  Brad from RLM was doing front flips off the stage and rolling around on the concrete like a drunken gymnast.  THAT WAS IT!  Kids started moshing, a short frenzied blast, a release of aggression, that was it!   that's why we do what we do.  It took the night to a whole new level.  Anyone that left missed it and it was a motherfuckin Kodak moment. 

I went around and got 18 names and numbers, myspaces to add to our mailing list.  Hopefully these ppl are able to make it to another one of our shows because there will be better bigger faster more.  One douchebag said no thats ok when I approached him to sign up for the list.   That's OK cuz his girlfriend signed it.  You know who you are.  I'm not mad atcha I'm just kiddin'.  I fucking HATE when people ask me to sign their mailing lists ROTFL Thats the beauty of being in a band in West Virginia:  Eating free hot dogs just like Phil Anselmo and getting turned down for your mailing list.  We can 't wait to ROC the MOC, any TIME any PLACE it was the most KILLER VENUE.  I have so much respect for what they are doing there that now I am going to think of other ways to help down there, and I encourage you to do the same thing.