David Lee Fucking Roth will be just one of the acts to grace the new 2 Louies Concert Hall and Restaurant, which will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, November 19. Located in Birch Bay, just this side of the southwestern Canadian border, 2 Louies is an 11,570 square-foot site with a 900-person capacity that's perfect for touring American bands who are reluctant to deal with hyper-annoying Canadian border bullshit. Just 15 minutes away from Vancouver, 2 Louies will offer Canadians a break (same as they'd pay at home) on the Canadian-to-American exchange rate as an incentive to drink and rock out on the U.S. side. So far, upcoming shows reFLect a lot of the stuff you'd find at the Ballard Firehouse, but David Lee Fucking Roth will make an appearance in late January. For more info call 360-332-9654.
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Also up north, Vancouver's historic Commodore Ballroom has reopened after a $3.5 million facelift. The live music venue closed three years ago to little boo-hooing, due to its poor sight lines, awkward seating, and gross bathrooms -- not to mention those goddamn tokens you had to purchase BEFORE standing in line for a fucking drink (something us out-of-towners would never realize until getting up to the bar, when surly bartenders delighted in making you feel like a jackass for not knowing the retarded drill). Anyway, it's supposed to be all fixed up now, thanks to that shitload of cash funneled in by the House of Blues. The drink situation is still under suspicion, however....
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The always entertaining Supersuckers earned themselves a couple of shiners for their crowd-controlling efforts during tourmate Zeke's set at the Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Seems a biker-type sporting a "Probationary Outlaw" T-shirt began harshing on Eddie Spaghetti's Zeke bliss. Eddie retaliated by FLipping the bird, to which the Outlaw responded by shoving him, nearly sending him over a railing. Then Outlaw biker-dude's buddy knuckled up and punched Eddie in the face. Much shoving and arguing ensued, and at least one punch landed on Ron Heathman's eyeball. The good-hearted local who e-mailed the blow-by-blow account would like to take this opportunity "as a member of the Boston community" to apologize to the 'Suckers and Zeke. Sorry.
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Anybody remember the Maroons? I sure as hell do, because they were (are?) one of the Northwest's sweetest sounding pop bands, having resurrected the fine art of crooning way back in 1995, when their debut CD came out on Slo-Mo records. Since then, they haven't done squat, though Maroons members -- former Dharma Bums John Moen and Jim Talstra -- have figured in the Minus 5 and No. 2. Finally, I can report that a follow-up has been completed, and the Maroons have a tentative date next month at the Crocodile with the Minus 5 headlining. In related news, Portland's Blood Red label has released a disc by the Cavemanish Boys, featuring Talstra and Moen as well as Chris Slusarenko, formerly of early-'90s Sub Pop band Sprinkler. Unlike the Maroons, Cavemanish Boys are distinctly un-croonish, instead favoring sharp blues and Kinks-inspired pop.
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And finally, a rule for those Microsofties who don't get out much, but think you own the club whenever Quasi comes to town. The area directly adjacent to the bar and the bathrooms at the Breakroom is a designated yacking zone, and if my friends and I are discussing the evolution of the band onstage or even just complimenting each other on our kickass shoes, WHILE STANDING IN THE DESIGNATED YACKING AREA, you do not have the authority to turn around and tell us to shut our fucking mouths. Why the fuck do you stand so far away from the band, anyway? Go stand in front of the band in that room with no furniture, called THE BAND ROOM, like the authentic live music fans do, you jackasses. Microsofties at shows -- Number 4 on the list of things that annoy me around here.
