who ever heard of a gig diary?

Before I begin, hey, wouldja check out the Winterpills name on the back page of the Year End Rolling Stone Magazine? (they are #5 on the "local charts", this issue taken at Noho's Turn It Up!) Very nice.

Ok, then. Haven't written a gig diary in many moons.

We knew the night would be special for a variety of reasons.
First off was the return of of our favorite borgeoise heroes, The Borgeoise Heroes!
Since their move to Austin, they seem to only return for a week here and there. And luckily, we caught them in time to do a gig.
This may have been the best gig I've seen them do. I heard some great new songs, and I've always been a fan of Jason's voice. His between-song stuff was funny too. They had a guest bassist for half the set, which complimented Elise's drumming, and on the last tune, Henning played bass (a Hofner--or at least a Hofner copy. That's the "McCartney bass").
Next, SFTD. The first 5-piece show in well over a year. SFTD is very verstile and can play with any old lineup and pull it off, but I realized during the gig as well as the rehearsals, that I've missed Max's energy--more in an abstract, aural way. So it was great to have him back for a night.
The set list was all over the map--the very new, and very old. Plus 1.08 covers.
A complete version of the Dead Milkmen's 80's alt classic "Punk Rock Girl" and the insane first 20 seconds of YES's 11 minute "Heart of the Sunrise". I think Tony may have sat it out, as I would have if I wasn't the drummer. Max, Ken and Ning were all fans of Yes in their youth, but I always steered clear. Prog/math rock is just not in my blood. If I wanted a 20 minute song when I was 16 years old, I'd be reaching for St. Stephen>The Eleven. I've never been in it for precision for precision's sake.
And yet, who am I to shy away from a drumming challenge? It's alls I gots. And it points the way out of ruts. I fear being one of those musicians who stopped evolving at the age of 24.
OK, speaking of an inspiring presence. A man who has not only never stopped evolving, but has never stopped just getting better: Mark Mulcahy.
On this day, the Daily Hampshire Gazette rightfully gave MM a huge story with huge photo. I was honored to be asked to play drums for a couplathree songs on this night. Ken's been his gig drummer since the UK tours of this summer. But I played on two groovy covers: Bowie's "Life on Mars?" and the Flaming Lips' "Waiting For Superman" as well as the Miracle Legion chestnut "Ladies From Town", the end of which took a tragically wrong turn, I'm just remembering. Was that me? If so, sorry.
I feel like there was something else, but I can't remember.
I almost didn't make it up. I was back at the bar chatting with a Butterfly, while digging the show, and ordering a drink. I noticed the Fleetwood Mac they were playing and was saying, "Shit, I can't believe they're covering Fleetwood Mac! Awesome!" and digging the awesomeness of it. Suddenly a couple people around me were saying, "Brian, they're calling you to the stage" I tuned in to the vocals and sure enough, they weren't singing about a Welsh Witch, but an Italian Jew Drummer.
Besides my drumming cameos, Dave Trenholm was up there the whole time switiching between bagpipes, lute, stegasaurus, soy milk and baggage claim. Henning played acoustic guitar, keyboards and slide whistle, and at the very end, Al Johnson shredded and ran around the stage like the heroic nut that he is as the night swirled around me and the promise of a new year began to show its first blinding rays.